A MAJOR campaign to boost the future of Oxford University kicked off this morning with the announcement of £575m in donations.
University staff said the campaign aimed to raise £1.25bn to help attract the world's brightest students regardless of their financial situation.
At a celebrity-backed launch in London, staff announced a £25m gift from the Garfield Weston Foundation for the new Bodleian Library and a new £25m development fund for the Said Business School.
Among the famous alumni supporting the campaign are Michael Palin, Richard Dawkins and Sir Roger Bannister.
The university's chancellor Lord Chris Patten launched the event at The British Academy, where it was revealed the university had attracted 20,000 donors since August 2004.
Staff said the campaign would also bring new buildings housing research and teaching facilities.
Vice-chancellor John Hood said: "We have launched the Campaign for the University of Oxford: the most sustained, co-ordinate fundraising effort ever undertaken by a European university. It is a campaign driven by the university and its colleges."
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