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[Queen of Sheba]

How Saudi oil money corrupted Oxford
By Kate McMullen
The University has signed a secret agreement with a Middle Eastern university to fast-track the admissions of Saudi students, The Oxford Student has learned. The pact follows a payment of �2m to Oxford by the university�s chairman, a brutal and wealthy Sultan. Prince Sultan Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud is a member of the notorious royal family of Saudi Arabia, who run the country as a theocratic dictatorship and have funneled vast amounts of wealth from the country�s oil resources.
The hushed-up deal between Prince Sultan University (PSU) and Oxford not only puts the University in breach of government education guidelines, but also violates the University�s own Statutes by failing to consult Council, the ultimate decision-making body. The Saudi influence over Oxford admissions stems from the �2 million given by Al-Saud to the Ashmolean Museum in May 2005.
The deal, dubbed the �Ashmolean Agreement�, also provided for ten scholarships at Oxford for Saudi Arabian students. A crucial aspect of the first pact was the demand that �both parties shall endeavour within one year�to agree the terms of an exchange programme.� A year later a �Memorandum of Understanding� between Oxford University and the PSU was finalised by a Saudi delegation.
On 4 May, the group met with highranking Oxford officials, including Vice-Chancellor John Hood who rubber-stamped the pact. The Oxford Student has obtained a copy of the contract, which Oxford University have refused to make public. The Memorandum shows that Oxford University agreed to speed up applications as a result of the �2m payment from the Sultan.
It states, �In recognition of the munificent benefaction arising from the 2005 �Ashmolean Agreement�, Oxford will administer the ten scholarships held in the Prince�s name. �Oxford will endeavour to identify 4-6 colleges with resources and expertise (e.g. in law, economics, finance, computer science, English, linguistics, applied linguistics and translation) that suit PSU students. �It will also seek to expedite the application process.
The promise to bypass the standard admissions procedure puts Oxford in breach of the guidelines laid out by The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. The guidelines stipulate that higher education institutes must have �policies and procedures for the recruitment and admission of students to higher education that are fair�and implemented consistently. �All staff involved at each stage of the admissions process need to be informed about the institution�s policies, procedures and criteria for student admissions to higher education.� The University also failed to consult with key members of the University who would be affected by the deal. Professor Bill Roscoe, Director of the Oxford Computing Laboratory, said: �I have no recollection of learning of the alliance with Prince Sultan University before the delegation arrived.
Critically, the deal also breaks Oxford�s own Regulations, which make it clear that no such University contract can be made without the consent of Council. Statute XVI records that, �No officer of the University, or any other person employed by the University...shall have authority to make any representations on behalf of the University or to enter into any contract on behalf of the University, except with the express consent of Council.
The deal was signed without discussion by the University�s parliament of dons, Congregation, or permission from Council. The University�s silence over the agreement appears to be a concerted effort to play down the significance of the deal. The �Memorandum of Understanding� has never been publicly announced. In contrast, the PSU has dedicated a web page to the deal, hailing it as an �historic agreement�.
The website says, �The Memorandum of Understanding which was signed at the end of the visit marked a historical moment for both the university of Oxford and Prince Sultan University.� A University spokesperson said, �The �Memorandum of Understanding� marked the intentions of the two universities to explore areas of collaboration, but does not involve any particular commitments.� She conceded, �The agreement is more attractive to the PSU than to Oxford. The initiative came more from them.�

http://www.oxfordstudent.com/mt2006wk4/News/how_saudi_oil_money_corrupted_oxford

[Mr Gohlam]

I can confirm that this is true, my wife applied at PSU, only to find they have been involved in bribery, from friends at Oxford. She opted out of the interview, and although we are separated as she is still in London and I am teaching here in Saudi, I think its the better of the two options. Why subject her to unprofessional and substandard conditions for a few riyals?

[Cleopatra]

Would your wife have been allowed to keep her hijab on at PSU, Mr. Gohlam? As I recall, that was something of a priority for you both.

While I have little reason to doubt the overall accuracy of the story about PSU attempting to bribe Oxford, the author of the article is in dire need of a fact checker. She got the Prince's name wrong, and incorrectly referred to him as "the Sultan". She also made up the bit about him being 'de facto ruler' of KSA. Also, crowds do not gather to watch executions in Riyadh 'every Friday'.

If these are the academic 'standards' of Oxford, maybe they deserve all they get by partnering up with PSU. Or is it OK to dispense with accuracy when the opportunity is there for a bit of jingoism? This is Oxford, after all.



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[Stephen Jones]

Oxford and Cambridge so far have been, together with the odd London college, the only places in the UK to still insist on academic standards for their post-graduate students.

Exchange programmes are reasonable throughout the world. Nevertheless, it is a little puzzling that Oxford should do its exchange program with a private university, rather than a government one.

As for the ten scholarships for Saudi students to the best of my knowledge the policy of UK universities of granting scholarships for foreign students is hallowed by tradition.

The article seems like typical tabloid journalism. As for Council not being consulted, I don't have enough evidence to know to what degree Council (which represents every single Oxford don and has thousands of members) deals with the nitty-gritty small details. What I do know is that there is a proposal that shows all signs of being passed, that will take power out of Council for the first time to a so-called board of trustees, who will basically be a question of plutocrats and money managers often with little or no prior connection to the university. If this proposal goes through I would expect many much more shady deals than this to be passed.

[Cleopatra]

[Stephen Jones]

The other articles make things clearer.

What I fail to understand is the title to this thread.

Is PSU a credible institution, even after this scandal?

What PSU has done is perfectly honorable. They have made exchange arrangements with a reputable university.

If there is going to be a poll, shouldn't it be
Is Oxford University a credible institution, even after this scandal?

[Cleopatra]

[Queen of Sheba]

[scot47]

Who cares ? I must admit that I cannot get excited about a badly-written piece by a badly-informed 'journalist'.

[Queen of Sheba]

[Cleopatra]

Of course, the smug Brits will still say that those sleazy Saudis 'corrupted' their otherwise pure and incorruptible selves:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1952321,00.html

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[Stephen Jones]