UK university director quits post

London: The director of a respected British university have resigned amid a controversy over the institution's links with the family of Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

Howard Davies, director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, said on Thursday the university's reputation has suffered because of its links to the Libyan regime — including receiving money from a foundation run by Saif Al Islam Gaddafi, the leader's son and a former student at the university.

The university's council said it will now conduct an independent external inquiry to investigate the institution's relationship with Libya and with Saif Gaddafi.

Mistake

"I advised the [university's] council that it was reasonable to accept the money and that has turned out to be a mistake," he said. "There were risks involved in taking funding from sources associated with Libya, and they should have been weighed more heavily in the balance."

The LSE accepted a donation of £1.5 million (Dh8.95 million) for research from the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, run by Saif Gaddafi, in 2009.
The university said that of that amount, £300,000 has been received. The money was spent on a scholarship fund for North African students.