Aron Shai, 1942-2026

Aron Shai (DPhil Modern History, 1969; Visiting Fellow, 1978; Senior Associate Member, 1979)

Born in Jerusalem in 1942, Aron Shai studied at the Hebrew University before coming to St Antony’s to read for a DPhil in Modern History, which he completed in 1969. His time in Oxford marked the beginning of a lifelong association with the College. He later returned as a Visiting Fellow in 1978 and was elected a Senior Associate Member (SAM) in 1979.

Shai went on to a distinguished academic career at Tel Aviv University, where he was Professor in both the Department of History and the Department of East Asian Studies, and a key figure in the establishment of the latter. Alongside his academic role, he played an important part in university life, including serving as Rector from 2010 to 2015. He also pursued literary interests, writing three novels inspired by the history of his country and family, as well as his own experiences in academic leadership.

Although modern and contemporary Chinese history was his principal field of research, he maintained a deep and sustained interest in the history of pre-state Palestine and Israel, contributing two significant research papers to this area.