Bhikhu Parekh

Bhikhu Chotalal Parekh, Baron Parekh (born 1935) is a political philosopher. He currently holds the Centennial Professorship at the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the London School of Economics. In addition, he is the Emeritus Professor of Political Theory at the University of Hull. Lord Parekh has also held visiting professorships at the following universities: British Columbia, Concordia, McGill, Harvard, Pompeau Febra, Pennsylvania and the Institute of Advanced Studies in Vienna. Between 1981-1984 he was Vice-Chancellor at the University of Baroda, India. He was created a life peer in 2000 as Baron Parekh, of Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Parekh was born in the village of Amalsad in the province of Gujarat, India. His father was a goldsmith with a basic education. Encouraged by his school headmaster Parekh was admitted to the University of Bombay at the age of 15.