University of Oxford.
Credit: University website
An Indian student was allegedly "forcibly transferred" from her PhD programme to a master's level course by the University of Oxford.
According to a report by BBC, Lakshmi Balakrishnan, a native of Tamil Nadu, has alleged that while her research topic on English playwright William Shakespeare was accepted in the first year of her course, it was later rejected in the fourth year citing that "the research did not have scope for PhD level".
"They forcibly removed me from the PhD program and moved me to a master's level course without my consent," Balakrishnan told the publication.
Balakrishnan said that she already has two master's degrees from India and spent nearly £100,000 (Rs 1.09 crore) for her studies at the prestigious University.
The University of Oxford meanwhile has said all students were made aware that a "successful outcome would depend on their academic progress".
Balakrishnan lost her mother at a young age and was brought up by her father. Hailing from an underprivileged background, she said that she is the first person in her family to come abroad for studies and has made immense sacrifices to study at Oxford.
"I feel a sense of betrayal and I feel like I have been let down by an institution that I held in high regard," she said.
After Balakrishnan's research topic was rejected during her fourth year by two different assessors, she contested the decision through an appeals process but to no avail.
"I believe that the university’s strategy is to force me to wade through endless appeals and complaints procedures in the hope that I will eventually give up and go," she claimed.
The Queen's College, where Balakrishnan studies, came to her rescue and wrote to the University raising concerns about the appeal process and the rules that saw the scholar transferred to a master's course.
The College pointed out that despite failing her two assessments, no serious concerns were raised about her work in her reports each term.
OIA, the independent adjudicator for higher education, has supported the University's view.
In a statement, the University of Oxford said: "To achieve Confirmation of Status, progress must sufficiently demonstrate a strong likelihood of successful completion of a doctoral thesis. Unfortunately, not all students achieve this."
"Where a student disagrees with the outcome of an assessment they have the right to appeal under the university’s appeal procedure, which ensures fairness and transparency."
"There is a further internal route of appeal of that decision and a subsequent right to complain to the OIA."