The University of Wollongong is aware of the recent revelations showing the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation was not mentioned in the $3.5 billion will of the late Paul Ramsay.
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UOW is nevertheless progressing with its controversial new Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation degree.
"Discussions regarding the arrangement between the University of Wollongong and the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation are progressing," a university spokesman said.
"The Memorandum of Understanding publicly released on 12 February 2019, is a tripartite agreement signed by: the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, the University of Wollongong and the Ramsay Foundation.
"This MoU clearly indicates the shared intention of all three organisations."
These comments to Mercury questions followed a recent story in the Sydney Morning Herald about Paul Ramsay.
The article stated that Ramsay's seven-page will contained no mention of the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, the organisation that has sparked a raging culture war in his name.
It also stated sources said members of the Paul Ramsay Foundation were concerned about the cost of the centre - including millions earmarked for Western civilisation degrees - and the way the right and left have politicised Ramsay's multi-billion dollar philanthropic endeavour,
The idea to leave some of his money to a centre for Western civilisation was first floated with Ramsay by former prime minister Tony Abbott in 2011, according to an article Abbott wrote for Quadrant magazine.
But it was not until February 2014 that Ramsay asked Julian Leeser (now a Liberal MP and member of the Ramsay Centre board) to look at how it might work. Ramsay approached John Howard to chair the project the following April but died a few weeks later.
The will - finalised in February of that year - makes no mention of the centre in its seven pages.
The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation was set up in 2017, with the former prime ministers on its board.
The foundation's board approves expenditure for the centre, which is offering millions to establish Western civilisation courses at two or three universities.
The three universities hoping to offer Ramsay-funded courses or degree in Western civilisation are all facing obstacles.
In April the National Tertiary Education Union took "unprecedented" legal action against UOW and Vice-Chancellor Paul Wellings over their fast-track approval of the Ramsay Centre-funded degree.
UOW is fighting the Supreme Court action taken by NTEU.
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
