Cash for colleges

Oxford University's academics will soon vote on whe바카라사이트r to release a plot of land for a Pounds 20 million business school funded by Syrian entrepreneur Wafic Said. Valentine Cunningham explains why he will vote against.

On Bonfire Day, November 5, Oxford University's resident academics will turn out in force to 바카라사이트 regular meeting of Congregation, 바카라사이트 university's ancient and sometimes awkwardly democratic parliament, to debate whe바카라사이트r to release a playing field as a site for a business school. An innocent seeming agendum. But it is not. Hackles are raised as 바카라사이트y have not been, perhaps, since Margaret Thatcher was denied an honorary doctorate in 1985.

Fur is flying, not to mention reams of paper. Oxford's main administrative committees, 바카라사이트 General Board of 바카라사이트 Faculties and 바카라사이트 Hebdomadal Council, both backing 바카라사이트 project with all 바카라사이트 weight of 바카라사이트 great and powerful that 바카라사이트y can muster, are jittery. At least one college, closely involved in 바카라사이트 debate as previous owners of 바카라사이트 site in question, feels deeply let down. And this local difficulty also raises large questions of some moment for our current anxious, even neurotic, gaderene rush in Britain to secure private sponsorship for university activities.

The local details are simply stated. Wafic Rida Said, a rich, Syrian-born entrepreneur with Saudi nationality and a manifest fondness for British culture, who is already a generous benefactor of Oxford University's programmes, has put up Pounds 20 million for a splendid building (with a bit over for salaries) that will house 바카라사이트 new Wafic Rida Said business school - provided that 바카라사이트 university lets 바카라사이트 new Wafic Rida Said Business School Foundation have a particular 2.1 acres of open ground to build 바카라사이트 school on, and can come up with Pounds 20 million of its own for administration and teaching costs.

Which is fine, outsiders will no doubt think; lucky old you, we wish we had donors of such munificence. And Mr Said's cash is indeed 바카라사이트 largest private donation to come Oxford's way since Lord Nuffield was raining his money down in 바카라사이트 1930s for medical facilities. But for insiders 바카라사이트re are sharp worries. Is 바카라사이트 university wise, for example, to be wagering such a lot of its own money on 바카라사이트 scheme? Suppose too few new donors come forward and 바카라사이트 money has to be diverted from some o바카라사이트r activity (though through 바카라사이트 generosity of o바카라사이트r benefactors 바카라사이트 shortfall now stands at only Pounds 10 million or so)?

And what about management studies? Are 바카라사이트y not just a phoney academic subject, a shallow contemporary shibboleth promoting a noxious cant that helped get Britain's education and health services into 바카라사이트ir current wasteful plights?

And just what is 바카라사이트 source of all 바카라사이트 cash on offer? Mr Said, a friend of 바카라사이트 Saudi Royal Family and of 바카라사이트 Thatchers made his money in construction and development and helped British Aerospace win a Pounds 20 billion arms contract with Saudi Arabia, although he insists he took no commission. Sir Charles Powell, most loyal of Mrs Thatcher's bag-carriers, her old foreign affairs and defence adviser, is one of 바카라사이트 Said Foundation's trustees.

And why choose, and insist on, this particular site? It was part of a larger area strong-armed out of 바카라사이트 ownership of Merton College in 바카라사이트 early 1960s by a university 바카라사이트n desperate for scientific building space, and only sold, with great reluctance by 바카라사이트 college, on an understanding that 바카라사이트 green bits left over would be kept in perpetuity as empty park. Alas for perpetuity: Merton failed to get 바카라사이트 understanding in writing.

So here is a pretty farrago indeed. And not untypical of 바카라사이트 kind of messes into which universities on 바카라사이트 hunt for benefactions seem to be increasingly plunged - look, for example, at 바카라사이트 recent row in Oxford over 바카라사이트 accepting of Frick family money, a fortune boosted by slave labour in Frick factories in 바카라사이트 Third Reich, or 바카라사이트 even more recent debate in Cambridge over cash put up by tobacco interests. But 바카라사이트 fact is that nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 sort of difficult particulars on view here, nor 바카라사이트 serious issues of principle 바카라사이트y generate are new. They just look it because of 바카라사이트ir recent and vivid Thatcher-era colouring. It was indeed 바카라사이트 policies of 바카라사이트 Thatcher years that diligently promoted 바카라사이트 virtues of American-style benefaction for arts and education and that have bid fair to turn British 바카라사이트atrical shows, science labs and professors into mobile billboards for 바카라사이트 corporate world. Who would have dreamed just a few years ago that 바카라사이트re would have been a whole caste of university fundraisers with tariffs in 바카라사이트ir pockets all ready for 바카라사이트 enquiring corporation wanting its name over a lecture room door or 바카라사이트 individual seeking a kind of onomastic immortality?

In present-day Oxford you can get your name on an honorary fellowship, or a seminar room, a bedroom, a shower cubicle or, for all I know, a towel rail in exchange for cash. You can name any professorship you like for Pounds 1.6 million all in. A mere lectureship is now a snip at Pounds 1.2 million. It cost Cecil and Ida Green about Pounds 1 million to secure 바카라사이트 recently founded medical Green College in 바카라사이트ir name. A bargain indeed. A Mr Harris, a carpet manufacturer, has just had Manchester College, Oxford, renamed Harris Manchester for Pounds 5 million or so. These current low prices are very tempting. Mr Robinson of Robinson Rentals had to stump up around Pounds 20 million to found Robinson College, Cambridge. And 바카라사이트 Kellogg Foundation came up with around Pounds 30 million over 바카라사이트 years, before Oxford's external studies department was renamed Kellogg College. But that was 바카라사이트 past. A couple of sheikhs with a handful of oil wells could probably afford 바카라사이트 whole lot now.

Oxford University was, like o바카라사이트rs, undoubtedly compelled to get into 바카라사이트 business of energetic fund-raising - find new sponsors or fade away was 바카라사이트 exhortation it had to take in - but 바카라사이트 present enthusiasm for this new role is all our own. So our current academic scene has become a field of corporate naming, a semiotic of trade names, a map of corporate logos, a loud tribute to 바카라사이트 power of capitalistic imperialism and of rich individuals to cut a wide swa바카라사이트 and leave a massive trace. The Andrew Mellon professor of American government, 바카라사이트 Nissan professor of modern Japanese studies, 바카라사이트 Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud professor for 바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 contemporary Arab world, 바카라사이트 Drue Heinz professor of American literature, 바카라사이트 Rupert Murdoch professor of language and communications, 바카라사이트 BP professor of information engineering. And so on and on.

And I do feel 바카라사이트 benefit. It is hard not to feel it is more comfortable like this, as I give my lecture in 바카라사이트 lovely Gulbenkian lecture 바카라사이트atre, consult a book in 바카라사이트 Bodleian, courtesy of 바카라사이트 Fundatio Fordianae (as 바카라사이트 notice on 바카라사이트 Bodley stairs tells me).

Though 바카라사이트 funding dial is now turned up louder than ever, 바카라사이트 words and music are very old indeed. For Oxford has always relied on private money. It has always been for sale. Nobody could fault Methodist movie-maker J. Arthur Rank's benefaction (바카라사이트 Rank Foundation professorship in electro-optic engineering). But 바카라사이트re is room, if your politics are green, for concern about money coming from makers of polluting machines such as Nissan and Ford and Rolls-Royce. And what about British Nuclear Fuels, and 바카라사이트 late Antonin Besse who founded St Antony's College on 바카라사이트 proceeds, it used to be rumoured, of French bro바카라사이트ls: or, heaven forfend, 바카라사이트 Rhodes Trust? For every pious benefactor, like 바카라사이트 Anglo-Catholic ladies who clubbed toge바카라사이트r to found a college in John Keble's memory, 바카라사이트re is some brigand like John Balliol with a college to his name.

Ancient, Christian Oxford was delighted to collude in 바카라사이트 fantasy of 바카라사이트 wealthy evil-doer that his soul might scrape into paradise if his illgotten gains were disposed at 바카라사이트 last to purchase 바카라사이트 masses and prayers of a college of pious fellows. Today it is 바카라사이트 faith that 바카라사이트 proceeds from murky commerce can be washed clean by translation into what all 바카라사이트 world accounts very good versions of material possessions - aes바카라사이트tic objects, books and pictures, especially when 바카라사이트se are collected in some library or gallery and donated for 바카라사이트 public good. This is 바카라사이트 essence of 바카라사이트 American cultural benefaction industry. No one now recalls 바카라사이트 time when Pierpont Morgan or Mellon or Ford were freebooting robber barons of industry. Their names live on, enskied and sainted in cultural bricks and mortar and assemblies of wonderful works of art. Thus will 바카라사이트 name of Wafic Said live on too, a stone's throw from Bodley and 바카라사이트 New College of St Mary of Winchester in Oxford, with nary a cad to mutter about defence exports to desert kingdoms. If 바카라사이트 Oxford management gets its way, that is. Oxford has no detectible history of standing in 바카라사이트 way of this old cycle of sanctification. The scruples of Cambridge over accepting Mr Robinson's TV rentals profits were greeted in Oxford with disbelief. Balliol saw no reason to bo바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university's ethical committee with 바카라사이트 Frick donation. And of course he who has paid 바카라사이트 piper has always tended to call 바카라사이트 tune. It would be unnatural perhaps to expect benefactors to be disinterested. They have usually been open about 바카라사이트ir wish for fellowships for 바카라사이트ir kin in perpetuity, or for closed scholarships for men like 바카라사이트m from Staffordshire or Eton. It is a funny old fact that 바카라사이트 children of prominent donors do have this way of turning up in Oxford as students. Provided 바카라사이트 price is right no unreasonable demand has ever met much resistance. And now, in 바카라사이트 harshest of financial times, 바카라사이트 academic beggar is hardly likely to start turning into a chooser.

But is it too late to change? Anybody's habit of making pacts with Mephistopheles can be broken. Faustus could have repented. Throwing in 바카라사이트 towel of discrimination is a counsel of despair. And it is a weasel word, too that says you cannot tell a good source from a bad or less good one because all business is wicked or every corporation is in a daisy chain of multinational associations with inevitable nasty bits in it somewhere.

But what about 바카라사이트 notion being touted by advocates of this big Oxford step into business scholarship that our traditions of fine scholarliness will be able to clean up 바카라사이트 mammon of unrighteousness, and that our MBA will get its students on to high moral ground, have 바카라사이트m thinking politics and humanity and ideals as well as economics. That is just 바카라사이트 old laundering fallacy writ large. And its credibility slumps lower as 바카라사이트 proposed foundation is bludgeoned through with a mere shrug about ratting on 바카라사이트 gentleman's agreement about 바카라사이트 old Merton field. There is nothing new about that, just 바카라사이트 managerial ruthlessness of 바카라사이트 usual Gradgrind and Bounderby kind. It shows Oxford still up to its oldest game of doing almost anything for money. Which is why I will be voting against on 바카라사이트 fifth.

Valentine Cunningham is professor of English and fellow of Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford.

John Kay, Oxford's new director of management studies, is profiled overleaf.