KOLKATA: The pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford invited chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to deliver a speech at the university in June next year.

The pro-VC, Jonathan Michie, made the announcement at Bengal Global Business Summit on Tuesday and added Banerjee had accepted the invitation.

Amit Mitra, principal chief adviser to the CM and moderator of the event, called Michie to the podium to make the announcement."We have invited her to deliver a lecture at our university and speak about her struggles and achievements.

We are moved by her reflection of life and her views and policies on anti-racism and communal harmony.

We have a strong Indian presence in our college.

We want her to focus on anti-racism and women empowerment.

The message will be taken well by our students and faculty," Michie told TOI.Before the announcement was made, Banerjee spoke about her childhood struggle as her education had hit a roadblock after her father passed away at a young age.

Banerjee said, "I can't speak very good English like many of you.

But I know a number of languages in bits." Michie said he was introduced to the chief minister by industrialist Rudra Chatterjee, MD of Luxmi group, an Oxford University alumnus.

"We had a brief chat.

I proposed to her to come over to our university and deliver the lecture.

She had agreed, after which I was asked by her adviser to make the announcement," said the economist, who is also the president of Kellogg College, Oxford, where he is a professor of innovation and knowledge exchange.