Newcastle University appointed Anant Ambani to a professorship of practice in sustainability, citing his work in conservation, biodiversity protection, animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Ambani is the 31-year-old son of India’s richest person Mukesh Ambani, who made his fortune mainly in oil and gas; Anant leads on renewable energy for Reliance and is described in the announcement as having made significant contributions to advancing a more sustainable future. Ambani has created Vantara, a 1,400-hectare private zoo near the family’s Gujarat refinery that reportedly houses more than 150,000 animals including 200 lions, 250 leopards and 900 crocodiles; conservation groups have questioned how some animals were sourced, though Vantara has not been found guilty of wrongdoing. The appointment was met with incredulity and derision from academic staff and Indian and international conservationists, with Ramachandra Guha calling the choice mystifying and warning it could harm Newcastle’s institutional credibility and intellectual standing. Prof Matt Perry, chair of Newcastle University’s University and College Union branch, said staff had objected citing environmental concerns, and Prof Lyla Mehta of the University of Sussex warned that declining public funding risks allowing billionaire and corporate money to shape academia.
