There is a profound linkage between the quality of a university and its financial resources. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge rank among the world's finest educational institutions, and are able to draw on invested assets that are large by any standards. This book explores how the colleges that comprise these two universities make their investment decisions. Oxford and Cambridge are collegiate institutions, each consisting of a federal university and over thirty constituent colleges. While the colleges may have ostensibly similar missions, they are governed independently. Since they in ... More

There is a profound linkage between the quality of a university and its financial resources. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge rank among the world's finest educational institutions, and are able to draw on invested assets that are large by any standards. This book explores how the colleges that comprise these two universities make their investment decisions. Oxford and Cambridge are collegiate institutions, each consisting of a federal university and over thirty constituent colleges. While the colleges may have ostensibly similar missions, they are governed independently. Since they interpret their investment objectives differently, this gives rise to some remarkably dissimilar approaches to investment, which the book explores. It analyses the objectives, investment philosophy, asset management, and governance of over sixty college and university endowment funds. Drawing on research and discussions with Oxford and Cambridge investment bursars, the book investigate issues such as asset allocation and spending policy, which have a major influence on the institutions' financial health. This study reveals the colleges' individualism and diversity, and carefully analyses their strategies, which range from the traditional to cutting edge.