Newcastle University Awards Controversial Sustainability Professorship
The university said the post recognizes his conservation work and Reliance’s clean-energy shift, while critics cite scrutiny of Vantara’s animal sourcing and management.
- On Thursday, Newcastle University faced criticism for awarding a sustainability professorship to Anant Ambani, the son of Asia's richest man and owner of the Vantara wildlife centre in India.
- Defending the decision, Newcastle University said Vantara 'closely aligns with the University's world-leading research on global conservation and biodiversity targets,' while noting Ambani's executive role at Reliance Industries.
- Researcher Lyla Mehta of the Institute of Development Studies called the appointment a 'mockery of sustainability,' arguing Universities should 'hold corporations to account, not give them academic legitimacy.'
- Wildlife conservationist Prerna Singh Bindra questioned the characterization of the 3,500-acre Vantara facility as a conservation site, stating 'We need to protect wild animals in their natural habitats, not zoos.'
- Vantara, which claims to be the world's largest rescue centre, announced a major 'reset' last month of its procedures following concerns about its rapid and vast acquisition of endangered species.
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Anant Ambani appointed Professor of Practice in Sustainability at Newcastle University
Ambani's biodiversity conservation initiatives include Vantara, a 3,500-acre ecological sanctuary and rescue facility in Jamnagar. It provides specialised healthcare and rehabilitation facilities for elephants.
Indian oil billionaire's son appointed "professor of sustainability" at Newcastle University
Newcastle University in the United Kingdom has a new Professor of Sustainability: Anant Ambani, the heir to an Indian fossil fuels fortune and owner of an enormous zoo. Ambani earned the professorship for "his work in conservation, biodiversity protection, animal welfare and environmental stewardship" (he owns an enormous zoo) and "significant contributions to advancing a more sustainable future" (biggest oil company in India), reported The Guar…
Billionaire oil tycoon and son of richest man in India appointed professor of sustainability at Newcastle University
Anant Ambani, the son of India's richest man who made his vast fortune through oil and gas, has been appointed professor of sustainability at Newcastle University.
Will Anant Ambani Teach Classes at Newcastle University? | 📰 LatestLY
Newcastle University's decision to confer an honorary professorship in sustainability on Indian business heir Anant Ambani has raised a basic but widely asked question among the public: does this title actually mean he will be teaching students at the university, and if not, what does the role actually involve. 📰 Will Anant Ambani Teach Classes at Newcastle University?.
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