A major gift to the Voltaire Foundation in support of its work advocating the values of the Enlightenment

Professor Khalid M. Al-Khalifa, Founder and Chancellor of the University College of Bahrain (UCB), has made a major gift to support the work of the Voltaire Foundation for the next five years. His gift emphasises the enduring significance of the ideas and values of the Enlightenment, in the Middle East and across the globe.

Professor Nicholas Cronk, Director of the Voltaire Foundation, said: “The University of Oxford is immensely grateful to Professor Al-Khalifa for his generous gift and for his endorsement of our work. This donation will transform our ability to present the writings of Enlightenment authors in high-quality digital editions that can reach the widest possible audience.”

Professor Khalid Al-Khalifa said: “I am delighted to be making this link between the University College of Bahrain and the University of Oxford. I look forward to our future collaboration built on our shared commitment to the values of the Enlightenment.”

Miles Young, Chair of the Voltaire Foundation, said: “This generous endowment testifies to the powerful, global reach of the Enlightenment in today’s world. It is a huge encouragement to us in pursuing our mission of being the world’s leading centre of Enlightenment studies”.

Miles Young, Chair of the VF (left), Prof Nicholas Cronk, Director of the VF (centre) and Prof Khalid Al-Khalifa, Chancellor of the University College of Bahrain (right)