Oxford University Receives £150 Mln Investment From Stephen Schwarzman

(RTTNews) - The University of Oxford announced Wednesday it received a transformational investment of 150 million pounds from Stephen Schwarzman, philanthropist and Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Blackstone (BX), the world's largest alternative investment firm.

The fund will be used to create the Schwarzman Centre, and marks the largest single donation to the University since the Renaissance.

The new Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities will serve as a dynamic hub dedicated to the Humanities - those fields which inform the understanding and appreciation of the human experience.

The centre will open a vibrant cultural program to the public and will enable Oxford to remain at the forefront of both research and teaching. It will co-locate the Humanities faculties and libraries in a newly-constructed building at the heart of the historic Radcliffe Observatory Quarter.

The Schwarzman Centre will be home to Oxford's new Institute for Ethics in artificial intelligence or AI, which will build upon the University's world-class capabilities in the Humanities

The building will include performing arts and exhibition venues designed to engage the Oxford community and the public at large, and attract new audiences. New facilities will include a 500-seat concert hall and a 250-seat auditorium, as well as flexible performance and exhibition spaces for music, dance, and art.

Oxford's Humanities Division draws students, researchers, and faculty from around the globe, with 25% of all Oxford students pursuing studies in the Humanities.