No reputable university would reject funding because it didn't like the politics of the donor's board, Sydney University's acting vice chancellor has argued in defence of a proposed partnership with the Ramsay Centre.

After five departments wrote open letters arguing Ramsay money would hurt the university's reputation, the provost and acting vice chancellor, Professor Stephen Garton, responded saying more humanities funding could actually strengthen it.

"My own view is that it would be very difficult, in reputational terms, to justify the refusal of funding, otherwise than on the grounds that doing so would compromise our academic freedom," Professor Garton said in a letter to staff.

Sydney University is in discussion with the Ramsay Centre over funding for a course in western tradition Credit:

"It has never been university policy to reject funding from a donor simply on the basis that we did not like the politics of the people on the board of the funding body. No reputable university in the world would conduct its philanthropy campaign on such a basis."