Oxford divided on pounds 20m gift

Oxford University dons are split over the university's biggest ever donation; some say they will vote against accepting pounds 20m for a new business school from the controversial Saudi businessman, Wafic Said.

The zoologist, Professor Richard Dawkins, is among those who object. He says the university, which is raising pounds 18m for the project from other sources, ought to consider whether the money would be better spent on other things.

Protesters say the Bodleian Library might be a more deserving cause. Some argue that Oxford ought to stick to traditional subjects, rather than management studies.

In a letter to the Independent, Prof Dawkins says the university might end up having to foot a substantial part of the bill.

"The recipients of magnanimous gifts ought to ask themselves whether they really want whatever the gift is for, rather than simply thinking they have been given a present of pounds 20m," he said last night.

Alexander Murray, a medieval-history tutor from University College, will also vote against the plan when Oxford's congregation of dons considers it in November.

The Bodleian was forced to close early because of staff shortages and teaching posts in subjects such as classics had been frozen because of a lack of funds, he said. "Everybody works on a shoestring here," he said.

The Said Business School, which intends to compete with the best in the world, is scheduled to open in 1998 and will take 500 students, including 150 on MBA courses.

Oxford's director of external relations, Dr Paul Flather, said the university had already raised pounds 8m and the new centre would not lead to donations being diverted from other sources.