Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy invited the 900-year-old University of Oxford to bring its executive education programmes and specialised research capabilities to Telangana and establish a centre in Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister, who is in London as part of the Telangana Rising delegation, held discussions with Professor Maya Tudor of the Blavatnik School of Government and Professor Faisal Devji of Balliol College on possibilities of collaboration between Oxford and the Telangana government, on Friday.

Mr. Reddy outlined the Telangana Rising vision and the State’s plans to transform Hyderabad into a global education hub. He invited Oxford to work with Telangana’s youth and working professionals and explore opportunities to establish a presence in the State.

K. Ramakrishna Rao, Advisor and Ex-officio Special Chief Secretary, CMO, made a detailed presentation on opportunities available to foreign universities under the National Education Policy, highlighting the advantages of establishing programmes and institutions in Hyderabad and Telangana.

The Oxford academics expressed keenness to collaborate with the Telangana government and indicated several possible areas of cooperation, a statement from the CMO said. The delegation also invited Oxford representatives to participate in the Telangana Rising Global Summit scheduled to be held in Hyderabad from December 7 to 9.

Later, the Chief Minister visited Somerville College, where he paid his respects to the portrait of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, an alumna of the institution. The portrait was gifted to the college by Sonia Gandhi in 2002.

Mr. Revanth Reddy subsequently visited the Utilita Bowl, a major integrated sporting facility operated by the GMR Group, along with GMR Group Corporate chairman Kiran Kumar Grandhi. The facility includes a golf course, sporting infrastructure and a hotel.

The Chief Minister held discussions with Mr. Grandhi and the GMR global sports unit and invited the group to invest in Telangana and contribute to the development of world-class sporting infrastructure in the State.

The CM is also scheduled to visit Emirates Stadium later on Friday to watch the English Premier League match featuring defending champions Arsenal and Coventry.