Anti-tobacco campaigners have expressed outrage over the decision by a UK university to accept almost £4 million from British American Tobacco (BAT). The University of Nottingham plans to open Britain's first international centre for corporate social responsibility using the BAT sponsorship money. A team from the Nottingham University business school will research the social and environmental responsibilities that multinational companies have with regard to their employees. BAT is under investigation by the Department of Trade and Industry in the UK over allegations of aiding and abetting tobacco smuggling. Professor Gordon McVie, director general of Cancer Research Campaign said: "We understand universities are short of money, but accepting tainted tobacco cash is a step too far." Karl Brookes, a spokesman for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), pointed out the irony of tobacco cash being used to fund study of company ethics.