Newcastle University under fire over Anant Ambani professorship amid Vantara scandal

Britain’s Newcastle University faced criticism on Thursday for awarding a sustainability professorship to Anant Ambani, the son of Asia’s richest man and owner of a scandal-hit giant wildlife centre in India.

Vantara, which calls itself the world’s largest rescue centre, last month announced a major reset of its procedures following concerns about its rapid and vast acquisition of animals from around the world, including endangered species.

Newcastle University said on September 14, it awarded the professorship of practice in sustainability to Ambani “in recognition of his significant contributions to advancing a more sustainable future”.

“Work at Vantara closely aligns with the University’s world-leading research on global conservation and biodiversity targets,” the university in northern England said.