Oxford nets the world's first web institute
OXFORD HAS FINALISED plans to set up an Internet Institute based at Balliol. It will be the first University in the world to have an institute solely for the studying of the internet.
The institute has a budget of £15 million, £10 million of which has come from the Shirley Foundation, whose benefactor is Dame Stephanie Shirley, one of Britain's richest women, who has a strong interest in IT. Dame Shirley commented that she was "confident that the institute will enable Britain to play a leading and authoritative role in the study of the internet."
Oxford has already been a forerunner in the technology. Recently making the news was the University's groundbreaking use of the internet to research a cure for cancer.
The new institute will see a co-ordination of existing research as well as commissioning projects examining the internet's impact on society. A director has yet to be announced and other appointments will be made from among leading researchers. However certain areas of the technology are already set to be investigated, including internet-enabled healthcare, the digital divide, the boundaries of the nation state, privacy and security, and global law enforcement.
Colin Lucas, Vice-Chancellor of the university, was glad "at the fast response to fundraising." This was followed by extremely swift planning and premises were found rapidly.
17th May 2001