牛津大學主要捐贈人、敘利亞出生的億萬富翁瓦菲克·賽義德向牛津大學賽義德商學院捐款1500萬英鎊(約合1.5億元人民幣)建造新大樓，并計劃用撒切爾夫人的名字命名這棟新建筑。然而此舉卻遭到牛津大學許多教師的反對。據悉，這并不是撒切爾夫人第一次在牛津這所知名學府遭到冷遇。1985年，牛津大學曾拒絕授予撒切爾夫人榮譽學位，盡管她是二戰后第一位曾在該校接受教育的英國首相。

而這一計劃的支持者則認為，當年大家反對授予撒切爾夫人榮譽學位是因為對她當時的政策有所不滿，現在她已經不再是首相，學校完全可以用她的名字命名新樓。賽義德作為新大樓大部分資金的投資者，有為新大樓命名的權利，但是還需要經過學校行政委員會和由學者和學校官員組成的專門委員會審核通過后才能正式命名。

Dispute: Former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, is at the centre of a row about naming a building after her at Oxford University

Baroness Thatcher is at the centre of a new row at Oxford University after plans to name a building after Britain's first female Prime Minister were revealed.

Some academics are hoping to snub one of the university's most illustrious alumnae again - more than 25 years after protests there led to her being denied an honorary degree.

Thatcher became the first Oxford educated Prime Minister since the Second World War to be refused an honorary degree from the University in 1985 following student protests amidst cuts to education.

And now 17 years on a new revolt could halt plans to name a new facility after her.

Oxford donor and Syrian born billionaire Wafic Sa?d is said to have donated ￡15 million towards a new facility at Oxford's Sa?d Business School, due to open in the autumn, and has indicated that he wants to name it after the women he describes as 'lioness'.

But the news is not being welcomed by everyone.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Bernard Sufrin, a fellow at Worcester College, said signatories would be 'lining up' to force a vote against the 'inconceivable' plans.

He said 'I hope that those responsible for naming the building will take advice from those – now retired – leading members of the University who oversaw the embarrassing fiasco of an honorary degree for Mrs Thatcher being proposed only to be rejected by a large majority of the Congregation.

'It is inconceivable that Congregation would accede to such a naming.'

Mr Siad has long been and admirer of The Iron Lady and is given the naming opportunity because he has provided at least 51 per cent of capital funding to the building.

In 1996 he donated ￡23 million to establish the Sa?d Business School at the university and he has since made an additional ￡15 million donation to help pay for the new building.

In order for the naming to get the go ahead it must first go before a series of administrative committees and subcommittees made up of academics and officials.

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(Agencies)

（英語點津?Rosy 編輯）