An Oxford University school wants to be renamed after the CEO of Vietjet.

On October 31st, in Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom), during a signing ceremony for a cooperation agreement between Vietnam and the United Kingdom, Oxford University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate with Sovico Group.

According to the agreement, Linacre College will receive a research and education development investment fund totaling £155 million from Sovico Group, of which £7.5 million will be allocated to scholarships for students from Vietnam and other countries in the region, providing Vietnamese students with the opportunity to study and conduct research in a world-leading educational environment at Oxford. In addition, Oxford University also commits to developing and implementing a strategy to eliminate CO2 emissions for Sovico Group and its clients and partners by 2050.

"We have long been one of the least financially secure colleges at Oxford University. Therefore, we are delighted that our general endowment fund has received a significant portion of the donation from the Group, to support the continued day-to-day operations of the college," said a representative from Linacre College. The college will officially be renamed Thao College if approved by the Privy Council.

Founded in 1962, Linacre College is one of 38 colleges affiliated with the prestigious University of Oxford in England. It is named after Thomas Linacre, a scholar of the humanities, medical sciences, and classical Renaissance art. The college takes its name from Linacre to commemorate him and to remember the achievements of this "outstanding figure" and "great scholar" for humanity, while also reflecting the ideal of academic excellence that the college strives for.

This is precisely why the decision to rename the school faced opposition. Many argued that renaming it after a businessman commercialized the school and went against its original purpose.

Dr. Marie Kawthar Daouda, a lecturer in French Literature at Oxford University, said that the name Linacre College has a "deep history" and should not be changed simply because it is "a great gift" made by a businessman. She added: "Gratitude for Ms. Thao's donation could be expressed in other ways, without altering the important values ​​the school has upheld for so many years."

Some in the UK also expressed skepticism about Linacre College's decision, with some suggesting the school should change its name to "155M Pound College" instead of Thao College if it wanted to thank Ms. Thao for her donation.

However, many also argue that naming a university after someone in the field of commerce or business is perfectly normal, even though it is quite uncommon in the UK.

This is not the first instance of a school wanting to change its name after receiving a large grant. Previously, Manchester College, also part of Oxford University, changed its name to Oxford's Harris Manchester after a grant from businessman Baron Harris in 1996; or Cambridge's Murray Edwards College changed its name in 2008 to honor philanthropist Ros Edwards and the school's first president, Dame Rosemary Murray.

Khanh Ha