On Wednesday 2 March the newly founded Oxford Private Equity Institute celebrated its official launch event at the Oxford & Cambridge Club at Pall Mall, London.

Beside close friends of the Institute, about 200 Oxford alumni from London's private equity industry were invited.

The event was opened by an introductory speech of Prof. Colin Mayer, Dean of Oxford University's Said Business School. Prof. Mayer underlined the importance of the Private Equity Institute as the next step of strenghtening Oxford university's position in the world's premier league of research and education in finance.

Following this introduction, Prof. Tim Jenkinson, Director of the Oxford Private Equity Institute and the Oxford Finance Group, gave a speech on the development of private equity at Oxford University over the last decade, as well as outlined mid and long-term objectives of the Institute in playing a major role in global research and education on an independent and authoritative basis.

The evening continued with a drinks and canapé reception, where the invited guests enjoyed meeting a number of old fellows as well as made new contacts to other Oxonians from the industry.

The Private Equity Institue plans to run a similar event later this year in New York City, as well as to invite again to another get together in London in spring 2011.