Marking three years since the announcement of the new Humanities building

Schwarzman Centre by night

Three years ago today (19 June), it was announced that Stephen A. Schwarzman would donate £150 million to make the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities possible. Mr Schwarzman is the Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone, one of the world's leading investment firms. The gift made newspaper and TV headlines around the world, and was warmly received in Oxford because it would facilitate a long-planned aspiration of Oxford Humanities. Namely, to create a state-of-the-art building that would boost teaching and research in the humanities and bring together seven faculties, the Institute for Ethics in AI, the Oxford Internet Institute, and a new library. 

A tremendous amount of progress has been made since then, including:

  • A design for the building has been developed by award-winning Hopkins Architects, which received planning approval by Oxford City Council in March of this year.
  • The Institute for Ethics in AI has recruited a core team of eight academics and four doctoral students led by its Director, Professor John Tasioulas. It plans to add up to four more academics in the coming months. It has moved into temporary premises in the University's Biochemistry Building ahead of its move into the Centre when it opens in 2025, and regularly brings high-profile speakers to Oxford including DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis.
  • The Humanities Cultural Programme has undertaken 70 cultural and community projects, and its public events have been attended or watched online by more than 700,000 people. Recruitment is underway for a Cultural Programme Director.
  • Mr Schwarzman has pledged an additional £25 million to the project, bringing his total gift to £175 million.
  • Enabling works have begun on the future site of the building, and construction is expected to begin in earnest towards the end of the year. The Centre remains on track to open in 2025.

Professor William Whyte, Senior Responsible Owner for the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, said: "It is remarkable to see how far we have come since Mr Schwarzman's generous gift was announced three years ago. The Institute for Ethics in AI and Humanities Cultural Programme are already making vital contributions to research, teaching, and public engagement here in Oxford – and beyond. An outstanding design for the building has been developed and enthusiastically endorsed by the planning authorities.  The project has also been boosted by an additional gift of £25 million from Mr Schwarzman. We can’t wait to welcome people to the Centre when it opens in 2025.  We are determined to ensure that it will be a truly transformative home for the humanities and a major asset to the cultural and intellectual life of Oxford.”

The Centre will also house a full suite of high-quality exhibition and performance spaces, allowing public audiences to engage more deeply with the University. It will be a model for the essential role of the humanities in helping the world to confront some of the most pressing questions and challenges it faces today. 

You can follow the Centre's progress at www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk and sign up to receive our newsletter with updates on the building project by emailing schwarzmancentre@humanities.ox.ac.uk.