UK: Oxford denies sponsor has hold over chair

A University of Oxford job advert apparently requiring its L'Oréal professor of marketing to carry out work for the global cosmetics giant was "unfortunately phrased", the university has said amid concerns over academic freedom, writes John Morgan for Times Higher Education.

On 24 October, applications closed for the L'Oréal professorship, which was established at Oxford's Said Business School in 2001 with a £1.8 million (US$2.8 million) endowment from the company. The job description published by the university specifies the post's research and teaching duties, before stating: "In addition, the professor will be expected to engage periodically with L'Oréal, the sponsor of the chair, in the interests of developing and promoting mutually beneficial activities." Eric Barendt, emeritus professor of media law at University College London and co-chair of the Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards, called this "a constraint on academic freedom".
Full report on the Times Higher Education site