An openDemocracy investigation has revealed that Oxford accepted more than £106 million in anonymous donations between 2017 and 2023 — more than any other Russell Group university. The donations come from just 68 anonymous donors, putting the average amount given over £1.5 million.
Among the more controversial anonymous gifts was the £10 million donated to found the Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre. Earlier this year, Cherwell reported on the connection between the Centre and autocratic rulers in Azerbaijan, and openDemocracy attempted to solicit from the University further details about the donor as part of its investigation. Despite these efforts, Oxford has only revealed that the donation came from Azerbaijan and that the person behind the donation was a “highly successful businessperson who wished to remain anonymous.”
The openDemocracy investigation reports that Oxford is “so insistent” on keeping the details of the donation unknown that it has opted to go to court to block openDemocracy Freedom of Information requests.
When approached for comment, the University told Cherwell: “The University will not disclose the name of the donor to the Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre; the terms of the gift are such that the donor wanted to be anonymous, and the University is respecting that agreement. CRDRF [Committee to Review Donations and Research Funding] was made aware of the identity of the donor of this gift, who was considered and approved through our usual due diligence process.
“It is inaccurate to say that Oxford University has ‘opted to go to court’ over this case. Open Democracy has taken the Information Commissioner to a tribunal after the Commission ruled for the University.”
The openDemocracy investigation also discusses emails obtained by the organisation which deal with fundraising discussions held by Oxford in 2019. The investigation states that the emails show that the then-vice chancellor was briefed on Oxford’s “ability to draw Chinese government funds to the UK” — “the funds are now flowing,” one message reads.
The emails cover the University’s efforts to set up “potential dates to host the Chinese billionaires,” although, according to the investigation, such meetings never materialised. When approached by openDemocracy for details about the failed fundraising efforts, the University “refused to disclose any records related to the plan.”
The openDemocracy investigation further reveals that there was a concerted effort on the part of Russell Group universities to frustrate proposed legislation which would have required disclosure of donations exceeding £50,000. The former vice chancellor of Cambridge reportedly told government officials that such legislation could “severely impact” fundraising efforts, and other universities “privately wrote of ‘celebration’ after learning that they could keep the identity of givers under wraps.” The investigation does not specify whether Oxford played any role in lobbying against the transparency legislation.
A spokesperson for Oxford has commented on the University’s policy of anonymity for donations, denying that such contributions compromise Oxford’s integrity as an institution: “All Oxford University research is academically driven, with the ultimate aim of enhancing openly available scholarship and knowledge. Donors have no influence over how Oxford academics carry out their research, and major donors are reviewed and approved by the University’s Committee to Review Donations and Research Funding, which is a robust, independent system taking legal, ethical and reputational issues into consideration before gifts are accepted.
“We take the security of our academic work seriously, and work closely with the appropriate Government bodies and legislation. Much of our overseas collaborative research addresses global challenges such as climate change and major health problems where international involvement is important in delivering globally relevant solutions.”
