Lord Weidenfeld, whose death was announced today, was a major benefactor and supporter of the University of Oxford.
The Chancellor of the University, Lord Patten of Barnes, said:
'George Weidenfeld was an extraordinary man, who well understood the power of education to transform both individual lives and developing societies. As co-founder of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, he was one of the greatest publishers of the twentieth century. At Oxford we knew him as a great and generous friend who offered not just financial support but also gave of his time, limitless energy and wise advice to a range of initiatives across the University including the Humanitas Visiting Professorships and the Europaeum. His remarkable generosity led to the creation of the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme, which has so far given more than 150 outstanding students from around the world the opportunity to pursue graduate studies at Oxford. We mourn his passing.'
Among his many roles at Oxford, he was an Honorary Fellow of St Anne's College and of St Peter's College, Co-Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Blavatnik School of Government, a member of the Founding Council of the Rothermere American Institute, and a patron of the Campaign for the University of Oxford. He also served as a governor of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, a Recognised Independent Centre of the University. He received an honorary doctorate from the University in 2010.