Celebrating the Transformative Power of Philanthropy: Honouring Peter Bennett at Sussex

At a time when universities around the world face unprecedented pressures, philanthropy has become more essential than ever. It enables institutions to protect academic freedom, pursue research that serves the public good, and support future generations – especially when public resources are under strain. 

In a ceremony led by the Chancellor at Winter Graduation, we celebrated Peter Bennett, whose vision, generosity, and belief in the transformative power of higher education have reshaped research landscapes across the UK and beyond.

The Impact of a Visionary Philanthropist

Peter Bennett’s career began in international banking, where he demonstrated an extraordinary ability to navigate and predict financial markets. Yet he has always spoken of his success with humility, describing himself as “lucky” and crediting timing as much as talent. It is this grounded character – quiet, thoughtful, values‑driven – that underpins his philanthropic work today. 

Through the Peter Bennett Foundation, he supports charities across Asia and key research initiatives in several UK institutions. His approach is clear: philanthropy should ignite meaningful social change, strengthen public‑minded scholarship, and help universities solve the world’s most urgent problems. 

At Cambridge, he established the Bennett School of Public Policy and the Bennett Innovation Lab on net‑zero aviation. At Oxford, he supported the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science, transforming how data is used to improve health outcomes. And at Sussex, he chose to invest in work addressing the greatest challenge of our time: climate change.

The Bennett Institute at Sussex

The Bennett Institute for Innovation and Policy Acceleration was founded on Peter’s belief that rigorous scholarship and real‑world problem‑solving must go hand in hand. His support has allowed Sussex researchers to accelerate bold, applied work that tackles global challenges – rooted in evidence, driven by impact. 

In just its first year, the Institute has: 

• Contributed directly to United Nations efforts on global economic sustainability 
• Advanced frameworks for better governance of artificial intelligence 
• Shaped international climate policy through leadership roles in the IPCC 
• Launched projects across four continents, from Brazil to Ethiopia, Europe, Australia, and China 
• Published over 70 academic papers 
• Supported five PhD students 
• Won the Financial Times Award for Academic Research with Impact 
• Been recognised as a co‑winner of the UK’s national Net‑Zero Awards 

This is acceleration in action. It reflects not only the Institute’s mission, but the shared ethos between Peter Bennett and the University of Sussex: that research must respond to urgent global realities, and that doing good requires both passion and impatience. 

A Shared Journey into an Uncertain Future

As our new graduates embark on their next chapters, equipped with new knowledge, skills, and ambition, the Bennett Institute begins its journey with the security and responsibility of an enduring endowment. Both paths lead into a world shaped by uncertainty: climate change, biodiversity loss, geopolitical tensions, widening inequalities. But thanks to philanthropy, we face this future with renewed confidence. It does not solve the world’s problems alone, but it gives institutions the capacity to act, to lead, and to imagine better futures.