斯诺登将在2月竞选英国大学学生校长

Intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden is to stand for the post of student rector at Glasgow University.

The nomination of the former US intelligence officer, who has temporary asylum in Russia, was arranged by a group of students through his lawyer.

Elections for the three-year post will take place next month.

Other candidates for rector are cyclist Graeme Obree, author Alan Bissett and Scottish Episcopal clergyman Kelvin Holdsworth.

Previous rectors include Winnie Mandela and Mordechai Vanunu. The position is currently held by former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy.

'Brave whistleblower'

Glasgow University said all the nominees had personally agreed to take part in the election.

Mr Snowden is a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor.

He now lives in Russia after fleeing the United States via Hong Kong in May, having revealed extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence.

A spokesman for the group of students who arranged Mr Snowden's nomination said: "Edward Snowden's candidacy is a unique opportunity to show our gratitude to a brave whistleblower.

"He has shown a spirit of daring and self-sacrifice that is virtually absent in our public life.

"We call on Glasgow University students as individuals, and all student bodies committed to ending state intrusion into our private lives, to declare their support for Edward Snowden's candidacy."

The rector is the elected representative of the students and serves for a period of three years.

Among the post-holder's key duties are to attend the university court, which administers resources, work with the students' representative council, and to bring student concerns to the attention of university management.

据英国广播公司1月21日报道，美国国家安全局“棱镜”项目曝光者爱德华•斯诺登将于2月竞选英国格拉斯哥大学学生校长（student rector）。

该提名是格拉斯哥大学学生团体通过斯诺登的律师安排的。该学生团体发言人说：“提名爱德华•斯诺登是我们向这位勇敢的泄密者致敬的特殊机会。他所表现出的无畏和自我牺牲的精神，在今天的公共生活中几乎不存在了。我们呼吁格拉斯哥大学的学生共同致力于终止政府干预私人生活，支持斯诺登作为候选人。”

其他候选人包括苏格兰自行车手格拉尔米•欧伯利、作家艾伦•比塞特和苏格兰圣公会牧师凯尔文•霍尔茨沃思。届时斯诺登将与他们一决高下。

该职位任期三年，主要职责是出席格拉斯哥大学行政评议会、与学生代表委员会一起工作、让学生关注的问题得到学校管理层的重视。目前该大学的学生校长是前自由民主党领袖查尔斯•肯尼迪，其前任包括南非前总统曼德拉的前妻温妮•曼德拉和以色列核工程师莫迪凯•瓦努努。

斯诺登目前正在俄罗斯境内避难。斯诺登的律师、俄罗斯社会院成员库切列纳近日透露，一些美国官员声称要对斯诺登进行肉体迫害，斯诺登担心自身生命安全，打算向俄方面寻求保护。