Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and lays claim to nine centuries of continuous existence. As an internationally renowned centre for teaching and research, Oxford attracts students and scholars from across the globe, with almost a quarter of our students from overseas. More than 130 nationalities are represented among a student population of over 18,000.
Oxford is a collegiate university, with 39 self-governing colleges related to the University in a type of federal system. There are also seven Permanent Private Halls, founded by different Christian denominations. Thirty colleges and all halls admit students for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Seven other colleges are for graduates only; one has Fellows only, and one specializes in part-time and continuing education.
There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris.
Oxford is one of Europe's most innovative and entrepreneurial universities. Drawing on an 800-year tradition of discovery and invention, modern Oxford leads the way in creating jobs, wealth, skills and innovation for the 21st century. The leading UK university for knowledge transfer and commercial spin-outs, Oxford was also the UK pioneer in developing a university intellectual property policy.
Each year, Oxford welcomes students with great potential, at both undergraduate and graduate level, from all over the globe. Our students are attracted by the chance to study at an internationally-renowned seat of learning, with a centuries-old reputation for outstanding academic achievement and innovation.
Oxford meets the needs of students, teachers and the international research community with an extremely rich and diverse range of library resources provided by over 100 separate libraries.
Oxford's museums and collections are world renowned. They provide an important resource for scholars internationally, and welcome visits from members of the public. Admission is free, except for the Botanic Garden, where visitors are charged a small admission fee, and Christ Church Picture Gallery, which makes a small charge, with concessions for children, students and senior citizens.
University of OXFORD United Kingdom
CALIFORNIA Institute of Technology (Calt... United States
The mission of the California Institute of Technology is to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education. We investigate the most challenging, fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society.
IMPERIAL College London United Kingdom
Imperial College London is a university of world class scholarship, education and research in science, engineering and medicine, with particular regard to their application in industry, commerce and healthcare. Established in 1907, it is located in the heart of London. It is consistently rated among the United Kingdom’s top three universities, and was ranked 5th in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement in 2007.
The College has over 3,000 academic and research staff and about 13,000 students from over 120 different countries. Our reputation for excellence in teaching and research in science, engineering, medicine and business attracts students and staff of the highest international calibre. Imperial College staff are frequently consulted by governments, and also act as members of professional bodies, advise industry, and offer informed comment to the media.
Imperial nurtures a ‘can do’ entrepreneurial culture and as a result has an enormous amount of intellectual capital. It has about 60 spin-out companies to date and is adding to this by an average of two per month.
Imperial has three Faculties, of Engineering, Natural Sciences, Medicine; the Tanaka Business School; and a Humanities Department. Interdisciplinary research is promoted through several Institutes, for example the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Energy Futures Lab. We provide undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in all branches of science, engineering and medicine. Two Graduate Schools, Engineering and Physical Science, and Life Sciences and Medicine, provide training in a broader range of student skills. College accommodation is provided for undergraduate students in their first year. Details of all our courses and admission procedures are available on our website, www.imperial.ac.uk.
UCL (University College London) United Kingdom
Described by the Sunday Times as “an intellectual powerhouse with a world-class reputation”, UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top three multifaculty universities in the UK and features in the top 25 universities worldwide.
UCL is a multidisciplinary university with an international reputation for the quality of its research and teaching across the academic spectrum, with subjects spanning the sciences, arts, social sciences and biomedicine. 60 of our 70 departments (85%) have been awarded a research rating of 5 or 5*, which indicates that their work is of international importance. Teaching at UCL is 'research-led', meaning that the programmes we offer reflect the very latest research and are often taught by academic staff members who are world-leaders in their fields. UCL has one of the best staff-student ratios in the UK and places a strong emphasis on small group teaching.
As well as being dynamic and intellectually challenging, UCL offers a very cosmopolitan and international environment in which to study. Over 30% of our students are from outside the UK, coming from nearly 140 different countries. UCL also attracts academic staff from around the globe, and international staff and students alike are welcomed for the different perspectives and diversity they bring to teaching and learning at UCL.
The university is located on a compact site in the very heart of London and is surrounded by the greatest concentration of libraries, museums, archives, cultural institutions and professional bodies in Europe.
