A major row is believed to have erupted among senior figures at Oxford University, following the abrupt departure of the don leading its £1.25 billion fundraising drive.

Dr Jon Dellandrea had been heading the huge campaign to secure the university’s future until it was suddenly announced that he would be leaving his post as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Development and External Affairs this coming autumn.

Sources indicated today that the reasons for his departure were related to a disagreement with the Michael Moritz – the 53-year-old Californian dotcom multi-millionaire who recently donated £25 million pounds to Christ Church College.

Moritz, the newly appointed head of Oxford’s fundraising effort in North America, had been due to work alongside Dr Dellandrea but was apparently reluctant to do so due to personal differences.

In one alleged telephone conversation between the pair, the American tycoon is even purported to have called Dellandrea “obtuse” and “uncooperative.”

The Christ Church alumnus has also expressed public concern that his donation – one of the largest gifts ever received by a British university – was not being properly managed.

Speaking in July, he revealed that he had only opened his pockets on condition that the money was properly handled in a new university-wide asset management fund.

He said: “I made it quite clear to Christ Church that despite all its best efforts, noble intentions and hard work, its money needed to be managed in a much improved fashion.”

Dr Dellandrea, a Canadian, was appointed amid much fanfare by Vice-Chancellor John Hood in December 2004, after he oversaw a hugely successful drive to raise £500 million pounds for the University of Toronto.

Since then he is said to have built Oxford University’s development office into the world’s largest, employing more than 80 staff, whilst also enjoying a chauffeured car and six-figure salary.

Asked to comment on the allegations this afternoon a spokesmen from the University of Oxford refused to give any further comment.

A statement released by the university insisted last week that Dr Dellandrea was leaving to take up “international consultancies.”

It added that over half of the initially targeted £1.25 billion had already been raised.

Two teenagers suspected of bludgeoning an Oxford University student appeared in court today.

Kentaro Ikeda, a postgraduate at St Edmund’s Hall, was still in a critical condition this morning, after being bludgeoned over the head during the brutal robbery.

The 26-year-old was later discovered by passers-by, lying unconscious in a pool of his own blood on a deserted cycle path.

Craig Knowles, of Oxford Road, and Thomas Mack, of Nicholas Road, – both 18-year-olds from Marston – are alleged to have carried out the vicious assault, which left the Japanese student with a fractured skull and a risk of brain damage.

Both men appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning to answer charges of robbery and grievous bodily harm with intent to endanger life.

The pair were remanded in custody following the short hearing and are next due to appear at Oxford Crown Court on August 11th.

Meanwhile, Kentaro’s mother was at her son’s bedside in John Radcliffe Hospital, having flown from their home on the Japanese island of Fukushima to be with him.

He was found in the early hours of Thursday morning on a cycle track between Ferry Road and the University Parks.

Police cordoned off the area for days whilst forensic investigators combed the scene and surrounding area for clues.

A rucksack linked by detectives to the brutal assault was later discovered in nearby Rippington Drive, Marston.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said that officers believe it was taken from Kentaro during the attack, in which his grey and black bicycle and cycle bag were also stolen.

He also revealed that officers had discovered the weapon believed to have been used to batter Kentaro over the head.

The spokesman refused however to reveal the nature of the weapon itself.

The victim has lived in Oxford since November last year, when he began studying for his Masters degree at St Edmund College.

Police arrested two young men at 6am this morning on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the attack on Teddy Hall student Kentaro Ikeda.

The two 18-year-old men are currently being questioned by police at St Aldate’s police station, where they are in custody. Thames Valley Police made the arrests as part of their investigation into the incident, which happened two nights ago. Mr Ikeda was found at 2am by passers-by on a cycle path north of the University Parks. He is currently in a critical condition in hospital with severe head injuries.

The Oxford Mail have reported that Mr Ikeda’s mother has flown from Japan to be by her son’s bedside.

More soon.

Doctors treating Teddy Hall student Kentaro Ikeda following his attack say they must wait seven days before they will be able to tell if Mr Ikeda has suffered brain damage.

Medical staff at the John Radcliffe hospital later treated Mr Ikeda for severe head injuries and a fractured skull. They have described his condition as being critical.

Thames Valley Police announced today that they have found a weapon which they believe caused the injuries to the Oxford University student in an attack yesterday morning.

“We have found an object, which we believe to be the weapon used to cause Mr
Ikeda’s injuries,” a spokesman has said, though police did not confirm what sort of weapon it was.

Mr Ikeda, a 26-year-old postgraduate student, was attacked while walking on a cycle path early yesterday morning.

Passers-by found Mr Ikeda at 2am lying on the path which runs between Ferry Road and the University Parks in North Oxford. The area was cordoned off by police while a forensic search was conducted.

A rucksack belonging to Mr Ikeda was found nearly half a mile away and police have said that they believe a bicycle (a black and grey mountain bike with green panniers) was also stolen during the incident.

Mr Ikeda is currently a student of St Edmund Hall and comes from the Japanese island of Fukushima. He previously studied at Leicester University.

Det Ch Insp George Bain, leading the investigation into the attack, told the Oxford Mail, “I am appealing to the four people who were with Mr Ikeda when the ambulance arrived to contact the police.

“There were two men giving first aid, an Asian woman and a man who directed the ambulance crew to the scene.

“This is a brutal attack and we need to find out what happened to Mr Ikeda” he added.

Thames Valley Police have also said that they did not know how long Mr Ikeda was unconscious before he was found by passers-by.

Anyone who witnessed the attack or who has information which could aid the police in their investigation has been urged to contact Thames Valley Police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A 28 year-old Vancouver man has started an online campaign asking people to donate $3 each towards his Oxford degree.

Brendan Baker, who has recently studied at Cambridge University, has been offered a place on the Said Business School’s social entrepreneurship MBA program but has estimated that his studies will cost $90,000. He hopes that if 30,000 people donate the suggested three dollars he will be able to take the course in the next academic year.

At the time of writing, Baker’s blog states that he has raised $9875 so far, approximately 1% of his proposed total. He has said that if he does not raise enough money to take the MBA, he will donate what he has been given to two charities. He has also said that if he takes the course and completes it successfully, he will cut up his degree and send each piece to people who helped fund his studies.

The Canadian man has garnered a lot of media interest in his home country, with articles appearing in local newspapers and interviews on radio stations in the area where he lives.

Baker spoke to Cherwell about his campaign in the following interview:

Cherwell: Explain your concept to us

Brendan Baker: My concept is simple – I’ve asked 30,000 people to help me get to Oxford, by donating $3 each. To do this I’ve set up a website (www.3bucksforbrendan.com) that helps people understand my background, philosophy and goals, and enables easy donations through paypal.

Cherwell: Why do you want to come to Oxford so much?

BB: I am fascinated in the way business can be used as a tool for social change. Throughout my brief career I’ve seen many opportunities to address some of our social challenges (and have worked directly to do this, including projects in West Africa with Engineers Without Borders and EnterpriseWorks). But personally, I see business (as opposed to NGOs or government/policy) as my avenue for impact. An MBA, particularly an intensive one-year program, is the best possible place to get effective tools to be successful in business. An MBA which focuses on social entrepreneurship, using these tools to address social goals, is even better and exactly what I need to be able to effect the change I want to during my career. Oxford’s Said Business School has very quickly built a strong lead in teaching social entrepreneurship in their MBA program. So the choice was easy, really.

Cherwell: How did you come up with the idea?

BB: Honestly, I was just throwing a Frisbee around. I had been accepted into Oxford’s MBA program, and had just learned that all 5 scholarships (for social entrepreneurs) had been allocated in the first two rounds (I applied in the third). So I was wondering how to fund it, without the expectation of a large paycheck afterwards. It just hit me (the idea, not the Frisbee!): why not ask a very large number of people for a very small amount of money. The opposite to what people are used to. And why not, at the same time, draw some attention to those organizations acting as social entrepreneurs everyday, that I have so much respect for (and which include Engineers Without Borders Canada, Doctors Without Border, Kiva.org and One Water).

Cherwell: Do you think it will work?

BB: It’s too early to tell whether it will get me to Oxford in October, but I think it might. That said, if I don’t make it, the money will go to two fantastic charities, so there’s really no downside. If I get to Oxford, then it has worked for me. If I don’t, then it was worked for many other people. So yes, it will.

Cherwell: Quite a large number of people have donated already – how does that make you feel? Does it reassure you about people’s generosity?

The fact that so many people have helped me out, with both donations and spreading the word, has been very humbling. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do this alone. But every time a notification of donation email arrives in my inbox, I am reminded of this again. With every donation has come the weight of expectation. Every 3, 10 or 100 dollars has reminded me that people expect me to do something very positive with the MBA afterwards. Donations from developing countries have come with notes of reminder that $3, while not a lot in Canada, is a lot of money in Malaysia, Zimbabwe or Nepal. It’s an interesting feeling I haven’t had so strongly before: the combination of gratitude, humility and massive expectation I feel from so many people. It’s powerful, and will help shape my future plans, at Oxford and afterwards.

Cherwell: What happens if you don’t raise the right amount? (What will you do with the money and will you get a job or do a course somewhere else?)

BB: If I don’t get to Oxford, the money will go to Engineers Without Borders (which I have been involved with for 5 years, and has shaped how I view and approach the world) and Medecins Sans Frontieres (which does as much as any organisation to convert people’s donations to help people truly need). One of the positive aspects of this campaign, hopefully, is that organisations like this can get a little more exposure, and maybe a few dollars. I strongly urge people, $3 to me or not, to check these organizations out and help them accomplish more great things, by opening up your pocketbook.

Whether I get to Oxford will not change my ultimate plans. I am still looking for a highly entrepreneurial atmosphere that seeks to blur the lines between business and nonprofits. I know of a few organisations doing this already, and have a handful of ideas of my own. If I get to Oxford, it will be my plan to explore this afterward. If not, then I’ll explore it in the next few months. I’ll also likely widen my applications a little next year if I don’t get to Oxford. I’m sold on Said Business School, but there are a handful of other good, socially-minded MBA programs elsewhere as well, mostly in the U.S.

Cherwell: You seem to be a very ethically-minded person – do you think the view you take on things should be adopted by more people?

BB: I’m not particularly interested in imposing my views on others. When asked whether Canadians (and British, to be sure) have a responsibility to be socially-minded or address developing world challenges, I don’t have an answer. I think it’s a personal decision. I feel I have accepted this responsibility, to an extent, but don’t feel the desire to impose this on others.
What I do think we have is the opportunity to address social challenges much more powerfully than we do now. Nowhere is this more true than in my own country of Canada. We have all the wealth and reputation to do much better, within our own borders and on the world stage. We have the opportunity to make much more of a difference, but now it is being largely wasted. I’m very thankful that I am Canadian, with the resources for an education to this point, health, stable and solid parents, and a world that largely embraces me based on my passport. Not everyone has this. So I have the opportunity to use these gifts for positive change. And I think, given a powerful vision and the right tools many others can see it as an opportunity as well, and contribute to changing their world for the better.

Cherwell: Fees for international students at Oxford are very high – students from the UK pay a fraction of the amount oversees students do – do you think that’s fair?

BB:In Canada we have disproportionately high tuition for international students as well. Is it fair? I don’t know that fair matters. I suppose it boils down to the mission of Oxford and Cambridge. If it is to spread knowledge among British and EU students, then why shouldn’t the fees be higher for me? If these schools see themselves as global educators, as seems increasingly to be the case, then maybe this disparity of fees should be reconsidered. I’m currently an MPhil student at Cambridge, where I have largely paid my fees out of pocket. Am I subsidising other students with my obnoxiously high fees? Of course. Did I know that as I signed up? Of course. Has the year been worthwhile? Without question. I do think an Oxford MBA will be worth the massive price tag, and have strived to convince many people of this in order to fundraise to get to Oxford, but in the end. If the donations don’t come through, the high cost will prevent me from attending, which I feel is both my loss and Oxford’s.

I know MBAs are also a huge moneymaker for the University. Oxford has its own challenges in managing its finances, so I can understand. I also know that, with the Skoll Scholarships at Said Business School and Cambridge Trusts at Cambridge, there are attempts to diffuse the costs for those that don’t necessarily expect a large salary afterwards. These are steps in the right direction.

Cherwell: Will you really cut up your degree and post bits of it to everyone who donated if you manage to get in?

BB: I will absolutely cut it up and send it to anyone who has helped me and wants a piece.