The University of Nottingham has defended its decision to establish an International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility using money donated by the world’s second-largest tobacco company.
British American Tobacco is giving the university £3.8million (€6.3m) over three years to set up the centre, which should begin operating in spring.
The university’s decision to accept the money has been criticised by campaigners against smoking.
However the university’s vice-chancellor, Sir Colin Campbell said BAT had shown ‘a genuine commitment to engaging constructively’ in the 180 countries in which it operates.
The centre will develop ‘a phased research and teaching programme’ that will include the establishment of a master of business administration degree in CSR. The BAT money will fund a professorial chair, a visiting professor from the developing world, and scholarships from developing countries where BAT has major interests.
Michael Prideaux, corporate affairs director at BAT, said the company was ‘very serious about demonstrating responsible behaviour’. He added that the partnership with Nottingham University would ‘allow us to gain deeper insights into developing best practice in corporate social responsibility’.
BAT has further developed its CSR policies over the past 12 months. It has undertaken to produce a social report this year, based on a social audit of its activities carried out during 2000.
In October, BAT launched the Eliminating Child Labour initiative in Brazil, Mexico and Kenya.