Our history

Looking forward

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We are working on an exciting project to open a new Global Leadership Centre in the former Osney Power Station. This will be an outstanding facility for teaching executives of leading organisations from around the world.

Today

Today we offer 15 degree programmes, a full suite of in-person Open Enrolment courses, a wide range of online Open Enrolment courses, and we work with scores of companies and governments. 

Our core programmes are run from two sites, Park End Street and Egrove Park.

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Follow the journey of our first 25 years

2021

Throughout the 2021-2022 academic year we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Saïd Business School. To mark the occasion, we commissioned a special series of reports from our faculty Business: the next 25 years looking at the challenges and opportunities facing business leaders of the future. 

2013

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On 5 February 2013 His Royal Highness The Prince Charles (now King Charles III) formally opened the new building. The building was named the Thatcher Business Education Centre in 2014 after the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.  

2012

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In 2012, Saïd Business School expanded with the addition of a second building in our Park End Street site. This second wing is primarily for executive education and was made possible again thanks to the continued generosity of Mr. Saïd and the Saïd Foundation, with additional contributions from the Clore Duffield Foundation and the Skoll Foundation.  

2002

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In April President Nelson Mandela came to the school and spoke at the lecture hall, named in his honour. Later that month on April 29th European Commission President Romano Prodi formally opened the building.  

2001

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Our doors opened in 2001 thanks to a £23 million benefaction from businessman and philanthropist Wafic Saïd. 

The state-of-art design of Park End Street is the work of leading architects, Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones, also responsible for the Royal Opera House in London. While modern in materials and approach, the design draws upon academic tradition, with a classical outdoor amphitheatre, columns and cloisters, horseshoe style lecture theatres, two large outdoor garden spaces, and a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Oxford dreaming spires. 

 

 

1998

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In 1998 Oxford University acquired the grounds of the disused Oxford Rewley Road railway station to build a new home for Saïd Business School. It is a fitting site for the school as in medieval times it was the site of Rewley Abbey - a 13th-century centre of learning for Cistercian monks. 

1996

Saïd Business School was formally founded in 1996, thanks to a generous donation from businessman and philanthropist, Wafic Saïd. 

We opened our doors to our first MBA students in the Radcliffe Infirmary while it was still a fully operating hospital in the centre of Oxford.

Our journey to being founded

1994

A joint undergraduate degree in economics and management was launched.

1990

The University passed a resolution establishing the School. The first Director was Dr Clark Brundin who had previously been Vice-Chancellor of Warwick University and he, together with a number of newly appointed faculty and staff members, including the first professor, Colin Mayer, helped to establish the embryonic School

1988

A committee chaired by Sir Claus Moser recommended that the University create a new School of Management Studies.

1965

The history of business at Oxford stretches back to 1965 when the Oxford Centre for Management Studies, later Templeton College and now Green-Templeton College, was founded.

 

Deans of Saïd Business School

Professor Soumitra Dutta (2022 - current)

Professor Sue Dopson (Interim 2021 - 2022)

Professor Peter Tufano (2011-2021) 

Professor Colin Mayer (2006- 2011)

Professor Anthony Hopwood (1999-2006)

Professor John Kay (1996-1998)