Кембридж университет рассказ на английском

We all know how important to get a good higher education, and the alternative is the institutions and universities of England. One of the most famous universities is Cambridge University, which is located in the city of Cambridge. It is the oldest university since its history begins in 1209. The story tells that the great scientists from the city of Oxford, having quarreled with the local population, left him. Soon they decided to stop with Cambridge and form their own educational institution.

At the very beginning, the main subjects of this university were religion, philosophy, mathematics and logic. Later this list was supplemented by humanities.
Cambridge University is made up of colleges. In 1980, there were 31 colleges, of which 16 were old and 15 were new.

Over time, Cambridge University acquired its own charter and code of laws, which were required to comply with both students and teachers. This university is considered conservative and honors internal traditions.

Only 3 colleges were open only to women, all the rest were considered mixed. A few colleges accept adult students from 21 years old.

This university is one of the richest and most expensive. Its graduates were laureates of various prizes, scientists, professors.

Перевод

Все мы знаем, как важно получить хорошее высшее образование, и альтернативой этому являются институты и университеты Англии. Одним из самых знаменитых университетов является Кембриджский университет, который расположен в городе Кембридж. Это самый древний университет, поскольку его история начинается с 1209 года. История рассказывает, что великие учёные из города Оксфорд разругавшись с местным населением покинули его. Вскоре они решили остановиться в Кембридже и образовать своё учебное заведение.

В самом начале основными предметами этого университета были религия, философия, математика и логика. Позже этот список дополнили гуманитарные науки.

Кембриджский университет состоит из колледжей. В 1980 году их насчитывалось 31 колледж, из них 16 старых и 15 новых.

Со временем Кембриджский университет обзавелся собственным уставом и сводом законов, которые должны были соблюдать как студенты, так и преподаватели. Этот университет считается консервативным и чтит внутренние традиции.

Лишь 3 колледжа были открыты только для женщин, все остальные считались смешанными. Ещё несколько колледжей принимают взрослых студентов от 21 года.

Этот университет является одним из самых богатых и дорогих. Его выпускниками были лауреаты различных премий, ученые, профессора.

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University of Cambridge

Coat of arms
Latin: Universitas Cantabrigiensis
Other name	The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge
Motto	Latin: Hinc lucem et pocula sacra
Motto in English	Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
Type	Public research university
Established	c. 1209; 814 years ago
Academic affiliations	Russell Group EUA Golden Triangle LERU IARU Universities UK
Endowment	£7.121 billion (including colleges)[3]
Budget	£2.308 billion (excluding colleges)[4]
Chancellor	The Lord Sainsbury of Turville
Vice-Chancellor	Anthony Freeling
Academic staff	6,170 (2020)[5]
Administrative staff	3,615 (excluding colleges)[5]
Students	24,450 (2020)[6]
Undergraduates	12,850 (2020)
Postgraduates	11,600 (2020)
Location	Cambridge , England
Campus	University town 288 hectares (710 acres)[7]
Colours	Cambridge Blue[8]
Sporting affiliations	The Sporting Blue
Website	cam.ac.uk

The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209^[9] and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world’s third oldest surviving university and one of its most prestigious, currently ranked second-best in the world and the best in Europe by QS World University Rankings.^[10] Among the university’s most notable alumni are 11 Fields Medalists, seven Turing Award winners, 47 heads of state, 14 British prime ministers, 194 Olympic medal-winning athletes,^[11] and some of world history’s most transformational and iconic figures across disciplines, including Francis Bacon, Lord Byron, Oliver Cromwell, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, John Maynard Keynes, John Milton, Vladimir Nabokov, Jawaharlal Nehru, Isaac Newton, Bertrand Russell, Manmohan Singh, Alan Turing, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and others. Cambridge alumni and faculty have won 121 Nobel Prizes, the most of any university in the world, according to the university.^[12]

The University of Cambridge’s 13th-century founding was largely inspired by an association of scholars then who fled the University of Oxford for Cambridge following the suspendium clericorium (hanging of the scholars) in a dispute with local townspeople.^[13][14] The two ancient English universities, though sometimes described as rivals, share many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge. The university was founded from a variety of institutions, including 31 semi-autonomous constituent colleges and over 150 academic departments, faculties, and other institutions organised into six schools. All the colleges are self-governing institutions within the university, managing their own personnel and policies, and all students are required to have a college affiliation within the university. The university does not have a main campus, and its colleges and central facilities are scattered throughout the city. Undergraduate teaching at Cambridge centres on weekly group supervisions in the colleges in small groups of typically one to four students. This intensive method of teaching is widely considered the jewel in the crown of an Oxbridge undergraduate education.^{[15][16][17][18][19]} Lectures, seminars, laboratory work, and occasionally further supervisions are provided by the central university faculties and departments, and Postgraduate education is also predominantly provided centrally; degrees, however, are conferred by the university, not the colleges.

By both endowment size and material consolidated assets, Cambridge is the wealthiest university in Europe and among the wealthiest in the world.^[20][21] In the 2019 fiscal year, the central university, excluding colleges, had total income of £2.192 billion, £592.4 million of which was from research grants and contracts.^[4] The central university and colleges together possessed a combined endowment of over £7.1 billion and overall consolidated net assets, excluding immaterial historical assets, of over £12.5 billion.^[22] Cambridge University Press & Assessment combines Cambridge University Press, the world’s oldest university press, with one of the world’s leading examining bodies; their publications reach in excess of eight million learners globally each year and some fifty million learners, teachers, and researchers monthly.^[23] The university operates eight cultural and scientific museums, including the Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Cambridge’s 116 libraries hold a total of around 16 million books, around nine million of which are in Cambridge University Library, a legal deposit library and one of the world’s largest academic libraries. Cambridge Union, the world’s oldest debating society founded in 1815, inspired the emergence of university debating societies globally, including at Oxford. The university is closely linked to the high technology business cluster known as Silicon Fen, Europe’s largest technology cluster.^[24] The university is also the central member of Cambridge University Health Partners, an academic health science centre based around the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which is Europe’s largest medical and science centre.

History[edit]

Founding[edit]

Prior to the founding of the University of Cambridge in 1209, Cambridge and the area surrounding it already had developed a scholarly and ecclesiastical reputation, due largely to the intellectual reputation and contribution of monks from the nearby bishopric church of Ely. The founding of the University of Cambridge, however, was inspired largely by an incident at Oxford during which three Oxford scholars, as an administration of justice in the death of a local woman, were hanged by town authorities without first consulting ecclesiastical authorities, who traditionally would be inclined to pardon scholars in such cases. But during this time, Oxford’s town authorities were in conflict with King John. Fearing more violence from Oxford townsfolk, University of Oxford scholars consequently began leaving Oxford for other more hospitable cities, including Paris, Reading, and Cambridge. Enough scholars ultimately took residence in Cambridge to form the nucleus for the formation of a new university.^[9][25][26] In order to lay controversial claim to being England’s oldest university, Cambridge often traces its founding to Henry III’s 1231 charter, which granted the University of Cambridge the right to discipline its own members (ius non-trahi extra) and an exemption from some taxes.^{[citation needed]}

Pope Gregory IX’ s bull gave Cambridge graduates the right to teach everywhere in Christendom.^[27] After Cambridge was described as a studium generale in a letter from Pope Nicholas IV in 1290,^[28] and confirmed as such Pope John XXII’s 1318 papal bull,^[29] it became common for researchers from other European medieval universities to visit Cambridge to study or to give lecture courses.^[28]

Foundation of the colleges[edit]

The colleges at the University of Cambridge were originally an incidental feature of the university; no college is as old as the university itself. The colleges were endowed fellowships of scholars. There were also institutions without endowments, called hostels, which were gradually absorbed by the colleges over the centuries, and they have left some traces, such as the name Garret Hostel Lane.^[30]

Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely, founded Peterhouse, Cambridge’s first college, in 1284. Multiple additional colleges were founded during the 14th and 15th centuries, but colleges continued being established through modern times, though there was a 204-year gap between the founding of Sidney Sussex in 1596 and that of Downing in 1800. The most recent college to be established is Robinson, which was built in the late 1970s. However, Homerton College only achieved full university college status in March 2010, making it technically the newest full college.

In medieval times, many colleges were founded so that their members could pray for the souls of the founders. University of Cambridge colleges often were associated with chapels or abbeys. The colleges’ focus began to shift in 1536, however, with the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Henry VIII ordered the university to disband its Faculty of canon law^[31] and to stop teaching scholastic philosophy. In response, colleges changed their curricula away from canon law, and towards the classics, the Bible, and mathematics.

Nearly a century later, the university found itself at the centre of a Protestant schism. Many nobles, intellectuals, and even commoners saw the Church of England as too similar to the Catholic Church and felt that it was being used by The Crown to usurp the counties’ rightful powers. East Anglia emerged as the centre of what ultimately became the Puritan movement. In Cambridge, the Puritan movement was particularly strong at Emmanuel, St Catharine’s Hall, Sidney Sussex, and Christ’s College.^[32] These colleges produced many non-conformist graduates who greatly influenced, by social position or preaching, some 20,000 Puritans who ultimately left England for New England and especially the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Great Migration decade of the 1630s, becoming America’s first settlers. Oliver Cromwell, Parliamentary commander during the English Civil War and head of the English Commonwealth from 1649 to 1660, attended Sidney Sussex.

Mathematics and mathematical physics[edit]

The university quickly established itself as a global leader in the study of mathematics. Examination in mathematics was initially compulsory for all undergraduates studying for the Bachelor of Arts degree, the most common degree first offered at Cambridge. From the time of Isaac Newton in the late 17th century until the mid-19th century, the university maintained an especially strong emphasis on applied mathematics, particularly mathematical physics. The university established a mathematics exam known as a Tripos.^[33] Students awarded first class honours after completing the mathematics Tripos exam are called wranglers, and the top student among them is known as the Senior Wrangler, a position that has been described as «the greatest intellectual achievement attainable in Britain.»^[34]

The Cambridge Mathematical Tripos is highly competitive and has helped produce some of the most famous names in British science, including James Clerk Maxwell, Lord Kelvin, and Lord Rayleigh.^[35] However, some famous students, such as G. H. Hardy, disliked the Tripos system, feeling that students were becoming too interested in accumulating high exam marks and less interested in the subject itself.

Pure mathematics at Cambridge in the 19th century achieved great things, but also missed out on substantial developments in French and German mathematics. Pure mathematical research at Cambridge finally reached the highest international standard in the early 20th century, thanks largely to G. H. Hardy and his collaborators, J. E. Littlewood and Srinivasa Ramanujan. W. V. D. Hodge established Cambridge as a global leader in geometry in the 1930s.

Although diversified in its research and teaching interests, Cambridge today maintains its traditional strength as a world leader in the teaching of mathematics. Cambridge alumni have won six Fields Medals and one Abel Prize for mathematics, and individuals representing Cambridge have won four additional Fields Medals.^[36]

Modern period[edit]

The Cambridge University Act 1856 formalised the university’s organisational structure and introduced the study of many new subjects, including theology, history and Modern languages.^[37] Resources necessary for new courses in the arts, architecture, and archaeology were donated by Viscount Fitzwilliam of Trinity College, who also founded the Fitzwilliam Museum.^[38] In 1847, Prince Albert was elected the university’s chancellor in a close contest with the Earl of Powis. As chancellor, Albert reformed university curricula beyond its initial focus on mathematics and classics, adding modern history and the natural sciences. Between 1896 and 1902, Downing College sold part of its land to permit the construction of Downing Site, the university’s new grouping of scientific laboratories for the study of anatomy, genetics, and Earth sciences.^[39] During this period, the New Museums Site was erected, including the Cavendish Laboratory, which has since moved to West Cambridge, and other departments for chemistry and medicine.^[40]

The University of Cambridge began to award PhD degrees in the first third of the 20th century; the first Cambridge PhD in mathematics was awarded in 1924.^[41]

The university contributed significantly to the Allies’ forces in World War I with 13,878 members of the university serving and 2,470 being killed in the war. Teaching, and the fees it earned, nearly came to a stop during World War I, and severe financial difficulties followed. As a result, the university received its first systematic state support in 1919, and a Royal commission was appointed in 1920 to recommend that the university (but not its colleges) begin receiving an annual grant.^[42] Following World War II, the university experienced a rapid expansion in applications and enrollment, partly due to the success and popularity gained by many Cambridge scientists.^[43]

Parliamentary representation[edit]

Cambridge was one of only two universities to hold parliamentary seats in the Parliament of England and was later one of only eight represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created by a Royal charter of 1603 and returned two members of parliament until 1950 when it was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1948. The constituency was not a geographical area; rather, its electorate consisted of university graduates. Before 1918, the franchise was restricted to male graduates with a doctorate or MA degree.

Women’s education[edit]

For the first several centuries of its existence, as was the case broadly in England and the world, the University of Cambridge was only open to male students. The first colleges established for women were Girton College (founded by Emily Davies in 1869) and Newnham College (founded by Anne Clough and Henry Sidgwick in 1872) followed by Hughes Hall (founded in 1885 by Elizabeth Phillips Hughes as the Cambridge Teaching College for Women), Murray Edwards College (founded in 1954 by Rosemary Murray as New Hall), and Lucy Cavendish College in 1965. Prior to ultimately being permitted admission to the university, female students had been granted the right to take University of Cambridge exams beginning in the late 19th century. In 1948, the university officially permitted them entry to the university.^[44] Women were allowed to study courses, take examinations, and have prior exam results recorded retroactively, dating back to 1881; for a brief period after the turn of the 20th century, this allowed the steamboat ladies to receive ad eundem degrees from the University of Dublin.^[45]

Beginning in 1921, women were awarded diplomas that conferred the title associated with the Bachelor of Arts degree. But since women were not yet admitted to the Bachelor of Arts degree program, women were excluded from the university’s governance structure. Since students must belong to a college, and since established colleges remained closed to women, women found admissions restricted to few university colleges that had been established only for them. Darwin College, the first graduate college of the university, matriculated both male and female students from its inception in 1964 and elected a mixed fellowship. Among undergraduate colleges, starting with Churchill, Clare, and King’s Colleges, the former male-only colleges began to admit women between 1972 and 1988. Among female-only colleges, Girton began admitting male students in 1979, and Lucy Cavendish began admitting men in 2021. But the other female-only colleges have remained female-only colleges. As a result of St Hilda’s College, Oxford ending its ban on male students in 2008, Cambridge is now the only remaining university in the United Kingdom with female-only colleges (Newnham and Murray Edwards).^[46][47] As of the 2019–2020 academic year, the university’s male to female enrollment, including post-graduates, was nearly balanced with its total student population being 53% male and 47% female.^[48]

Town and gown[edit]

The relationship between the university and the city has sometimes been uneasy. The phrase town and gown is employed to distinguish between Cambridge residents and University of Cambridge students, who historically wore academical dress. There are many stories of ferocious rivalry between Cambridge’s residents and university students. During the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, strong clashes led to attacks and looting of university properties while locals contested the privileges granted by the government to the academic staff. Residents burned university property in Market Square to the famed rallying cry «Away with the learning of clerks, away with it!».^[49] Following these events, the University of Cambridge’s Chancellor was given special powers allowing him to prosecute criminals and reestablish order in the city. Attempts at reconciliation between the city’s residents and students followed. In the 16th century, agreements were signed to improve the quality of streets and student accommodation around the city. However, this was followed by new confrontations when the plague reached Cambridge in 1630 and colleges refused to assist those affected by the disease by locking their sites.^[50]

Such conflicts between Cambridge’s residents and university students have largely disappeared. The university is a source of enormous employment and expanded wealth in Cambridge and the region.^[51] The university also has proven a source of enormous growth in high tech and biotech start-ups and established companies and associated providers of services to these companies. The economic growth associated with the university’s high tech and biotech growth has been labeled the Cambridge Phenomenon, and has included the addition of 1,500 new companies and as many as 40,000 new jobs added between 1960 and 2010.^[52]

Myths, legends and traditions[edit]

Partly because of the University of Cambridge’s extensive eight century history, the university has developed a large number of traditions, myths, and legends. Some are true, some are not, and some were true but have been discontinued but have been propagated nonetheless by generations of students and tour guides.

One such discontinued tradition is that of the wooden spoon, the prize awarded to the student with the lowest passing honours grade in the final examinations of the Mathematical Tripos. The last of these spoons was awarded in 1909 to Cuthbert Lempriere Holthouse, an oarsman of the Lady Margaret Boat Club of St John’s College. It was over one metre in length and had an oar blade for a handle. It can now be seen outside the Senior Combination Room of St John’s. Since 1908, examination results have been published alphabetically within class rather than in strict order of merit, which made it difficult to ascertain the student with the lowest passing grade deserving of the spoon, leading to discontinuation of the tradition.

Each Christmas Eve, The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols sung by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge are broadcast globally on BBC World Service television and radio and syndicated to hundreds of additional radio stations in the U.S. and elsewhere. The radio broadcast has been a national Christmas Eve tradition since 1928, though the festival has existed since 1918. The first television broadcast of the festival was in 1954.^[53][54]

Locations and buildings[edit]

Buildings[edit]

The university occupies a central location within the city of Cambridge with the students taking up a roughly 20 percent of the town’s population, and contributing on whole to a lower age demographic in the city.^[55]

Most of the university’s older colleges are situated nearby the city centre, through which flows River Cam, which students and others traditionally punt to appreciate the university buildings and surroundings viewable from the river.^[56]

Other notable buildings include King’s College Chapel,^[57] the history faculty building^[58] designed by James Stirling, and the Cripps Building at St John’s College.^[59] The brickwork of several colleges is notable: Queens’ College has «some of the earliest patterned brickwork in the country»^[60] and the brick walls of St John’s College provide examples of English bond, Flemish bond, and Running bond.^[61]

Sites[edit]

The university is divided into several sites where departments are located. These include:^[62]

The university’s School of Clinical Medicine is based in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where medical students undergo their three-year clinical placement period after obtaining their BA degree.^[63] The West Cambridge site is undergoing a major expansion and will host new buildings and fields for university sports.^[64] Since 1990, Cambridge Judge Business School, on Trumpington Street, provides management education courses and is consistently ranked within the top 20 business schools globally by Financial Times.^[65]

Given that the sites are in relative proximity and the area around Cambridge is reasonably flat, one of the favourite modes of transport for students is the bicycle; an estimated fifth of journeys in the city are made by bike, a figure enhanced by the fact that students are not permitted to hold car park permits except under special circumstances.^[66]

Notable locations[edit]

The University of Cambridge and its constituency campuses include many notable locations, some iconic, of historical, academic, religious, and cultural significance, including:

Organisation and administration[edit]

Cambridge is defined as a collegiate university, meaning that it is made up of self-governing and independent colleges, each with its own property and income. Most colleges bring together academics and students from a broad range of disciplines. Within each faculty, school, or department within the university, are academics from many differing colleges.

The faculties are responsible for ensuring that lectures are given, arranging seminars, performing research and determining the syllabi for teaching, all of which is overseen by the university’s general board. Together with the central administration headed by the Vice-Chancellor, they make up the University of Cambridge. Facilities such as libraries are provided on all these levels by the university (the Cambridge University Library), by the faculties (including faculty libraries such as the Squire Law Library), and by individual colleges, all of which maintain a multi-discipline library generally designed for each college’s respective undergraduates.

Legally, the university is an exempt charity and a common law corporation with the corporate title The Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Cambridge.^[67]

Colleges[edit]

The colleges are self-governing institutions with their own endowments and property, each founded as components of the university. All students and most academics are attached to a college. The colleges’ importance lies in the housing, welfare, social functions, and undergraduate teaching they provide. All faculties, departments, research centres, and laboratories belong to the university, which arranges lectures and awards degrees but undergraduates receive their overall academic supervision through small group teaching sessions often with just one student within the colleges (though in many cases students go to other colleges for supervision if the teaching fellows at their college do not specialise in a student’s particular area of focus). Each college appoints its own teaching staff and fellows, both of whom are members of a university department. The colleges also decide which undergraduates to admit to the university, in accordance with university regulations.

Cambridge has 31 colleges, two of which, Murray Edwards and Newnham, admit women only. The other colleges are mixed. Darwin was the first college to admit both men and women while, beginning in 1972, Churchill, Clare, and King’s were the first previously all-male colleges to admit female undergraduates. In 1988, Magdalene became the last all-male college to accept women.^[68] Clare Hall and Darwin admit only postgraduates, and Hughes Hall, St Edmund’s, and Wolfson admit only mature (i.e., 21 years or older on date of matriculation) students, encompassing both undergraduate and graduate students). Lucy Cavendish, which was previously a women-only mature college, began admitting both men and women in 2021.^[69] All other colleges admit both undergraduate and postgraduate students with no age restrictions.

Colleges are not required to admit students in all subjects; some colleges choose not to offer subjects such as architecture, art history, or theology, but most offer close to the complete range of academic specialties and related courses. Some colleges maintain a relative strength and associated reputation for expertise in certain academic disciplines. For example, Churchill has a reputation for its expertise and focus on the sciences and engineering,^[70] while others such as St Catharine’s aim for a balanced intake.^[71] Other colleges have more informal academic focus and even demonstrated ideological focus, such as King’s, which is known for its left-wing political orientation,^[72] and Robinson and Churchill, both of which have a reputation in sustainability and environmentalism.^[73]

Costs to students for room and board vary considerably from college to college.^[74][75] Similarly, the investment in student education by each college at the university varies widely between the colleges.^[76]

There are several theological colleges, including Westcott House, Westminster College, and Ridley Hall Theological College, that are members of the Cambridge Theological Federation and only informally associated with the university.^[77]

The University of Cambridge’s 31 colleges include:^[78]

Schools, faculties and departments[edit]

In addition to the 31 colleges, the university is made up of over 150 departments, faculties, schools, syndicates, and other institutions.^[79] Members of these are usually members of one of the colleges with responsibility for the entire academic programme of the university divided among them.

The university has a department dedicated to providing continuing education, the Institute of Continuing Education, which is based primarily in Madingley Hall, a 16th-century manor house in Cambridgeshire. Its award-bearing programmes range from undergraduate certificates through part-time master’s degrees.^[80]

A school in the University of Cambridge is a broad administrative grouping of related faculties and other units. Each has an elected supervisory body known as a Council, composed of representatives of the various constituent bodies. The University of Cambridge maintains six schools:^[81]

Teaching and research at the university is organised by faculties. The faculties have different organisational substructures that partly reflect their history and partly the university’s operational needs, which may include a number of departments and other institutions. A small number of bodies called Syndicates hold responsibility for teaching and research, including for the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, the University Press, and the University Library.

Central administration[edit]

Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor[edit]

The Chancellor of the university is limitless term position that is mainly ceremonial and is held currently by David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, who succeeded the Duke of Edinburgh following his retirement on his 90th birthday in June 2011. Lord Sainsbury was nominated by the nomination board.^{[82][83][84][85]} The election took place on 14 and 15 October 2011^[85] with Sainsbury taking 2,893 of the 5,888 votes cast, and winning on the election’s first count.

The current Acting Vice-Chancellor is Anthony Freeling.^[86] While the Chancellor’s office is ceremonial, the Vice-Chancellor is the university’s de facto principal administrative officer. The university’s internal governance is carried out almost entirely by Regent House augmented by some external representation from the Audit Committee and four external members of the University’s Council.^[87]

Senate and the Regent House[edit]

The university Senate consists of all holders of the MA degree or higher degrees and is responsible for electing the Chancellor, the High Steward, and two members of the House of Commons (until the Cambridge University constituency was abolished in 1950). Prior to 1926, the university Senate was the university’s governing body, fulfilling the functions that Regent House provides today.^[88] Regent House is the university’s governing body, a direct democracy comprising all resident senior members of the university and the colleges, together with the Chancellor, the High Steward, the Deputy High Steward, and the Commissary.^[89] Public representatives of the Regent House are the two Proctors, elected to serve for one year upon nomination by the Colleges.

Council and General Board[edit]

Although the University Council is the university’s principal executive and policy-making body, the Council reports to, and is held accountable by, Regent House through a variety of checks and balances. The council is obliged to advise Regent House on matters of general concern to the university. It does this by publishing notices to the Cambridge University Reporter, the university’s official journal. Since January 2005, the council’s membership has included two external members.^[90] In March 2008, Regent House voted to increase from two to four the number of external members on the council.^[91][92] and this was approved by Her Majesty the Queen in July 2008.^[93]

The General Board of the Faculties is responsible for the university’s academic and educational policies^[94] and is accountable to the council for its management of these affairs.^{[citation needed]}

Faculty Boards are accountable to the General Board; other Boards and Syndicates are accountable either to the General Board or to the council. Under this organizational structure, the university’s various arms are kept under the supervision of both the central administration and Regent House.^{[citation needed]}

Finances[edit]

Benefactions and fundraising[edit]

In the fiscal year ending 31 July 2019, the central university, excluding colleges, reported total income of £2.192 billion, of which £592.4 million was from research grants and contracts.^[4] In the decade prior to 2019, the University of Cambridge reported an average of £271m a year in philanthropic donations.^[4]

The Stormzy Scholarship for Black UK Students covers tuition costs for two students and maintenance grants for up to four years.^[95]

In 2000, Bill Gates of Microsoft donated US$210 million through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to endow Gates Scholarships for students from outside the UK pursuing post-graduate study at Cambridge.^[96]

In October 2021, the university suspended its £400m collaboration with the United Arab Emirates, citing allegation that the UAE was involved in illegal hacking using the NSO Group’s Pegasus software. UAE also was behind the leak of over 50,000 phone numbers, including hundreds belonging to British citizens. The university’s outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Stephen Toope said the decision to suspend its collaboration with UAE also was a result of additional revelations about UAE’s Pegasus software hacking.^[97]

Bonds[edit]

The University of Cambridge borrowed £350 million by issuing a 40-year security bond in October 2012.^[98] Its interest rate is about 0.6 percent higher than a British government 40-year bond. Vice-Chancellor Leszek Borysiewicz praised the bond issuance.^[99] In a 2010 report, the Russell Group of 20 leading universities concluded that higher education could be financed by bond issuance.^[98]

Affiliations and memberships[edit]

The University of Cambridge is a member of the Russell Group of research-led British universities, the G5, the League of European Research Universities, and the International Alliance of Research Universities, and forms part of the so-called golden triangle of research intensive and southern English universities.^[100] It is also closely linked with the development of the high-tech business cluster known as Silicon Fen and is part of Cambridge University Health Partners, Europe’s largest academic health science centre.

Academic profile[edit]

Admissions[edit]

UCAS admission statistics

	2019[101]	2018[102]	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013
Applications[103]	19,359	18,378	17,235	16,795	16,505	16,970	16,330
Offer Rate (%)[104]	24.3	24.8	31.2	33.8	33.5	32.5	32.2
Enrols[105]	3,528	3,465	3,480	3,440	3,430	3,425	3,355
Yield (%)	75.2	76.0	64.7	60.6	62.0	62.1	63.8
Applicant/Enrolled Ratio	5.49	5.30	4.95	4.88	4.81	4.95	4.87
Average Entry Tariff[106][note 1]	—	—	—	226	592	600	601

Process[edit]

Admission to the University of Cambridge is competitive: in 2018–2019, 18.8% of applicants were admitted.^[107][108] In 2021, Cambridge introduced an over-subscription clause to its offers, which allows the university to withdraw acceptances if too many students meet its selective entrance criteria. The clause can be invoked in the event of circumstances outside the reasonable control of the university. The clause was introduced following a record number of A-level pupils obtaining the highest grades from teacher assessment, which was introduced due to the cancellation of A-level examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[109][110]

The university’s standard offer for most courses is set at A*AA,^[111][112] with A*A*A for sciences courses (or equivalent in other examination systems, e.g. 7,6,6 or 7,7,6 in IB). Due to a high proportion of applicants receiving the highest school grades, an interview process was introduced as a component of consideration for admission. Interviews are performed by College Fellows, who evaluate candidates on unexamined factors including potential for original thinking and creativity.^[113] For exceptional candidates, a matriculation offer is sometimes offered, requiring only two A-levels at grade E or above. Sutton Trust maintains that Oxford University and the University of Cambridge recruit disproportionately from eight schools which accounted for 1,310 Oxbridge places over three years contrasted with 1,220 from 2,900 other schools.^[114]

Strong applicants who are not successful in being admitted to their chosen college at the university may be placed in the Winter Pool, where they can be considered for admission to other university colleges, which maintains consistency throughout the colleges, some of which receive more applicants than others.

Undergraduate applications are processed through UCAS, and the deadline for their submission currently is mid-October in the year before beginning. Until the 1980s, candidates for all subjects were required to take special entrance examinations,^[115] which have since been replaced by additional tests for some subjects, such as the Thinking Skills Assessment and Cambridge Law Test.^[116] The university has at times considered reintroducing an admissions exam for all subjects.^[117]

Graduate admission is first decided by the faculty or department responsible for the applicant’s respective academic subject. An offer of acceptance effectively guarantees admission to a college, though not necessarily the applicant’s preferred choice.^[118]

Winter pool[edit]

The Winter Pool or inter-College Pool is an important part of the undergraduate application process intended to ensure that the best applicants are offered places.^[119] Approximately 20–25% of undergraduate places are awarded through the Pool. Each college can place applicants in the winter pool. These applicants’ applications are then considered by Admissions Tutors and/or Directors of Studies of all colleges during the pool, which takes place over three days in January prior to admissions decisions being released by the university.^[120]

For each subject, each college will create an ordered list of the pooled applicants they want, and take turns choosing applicants. Colleges with specific student requirements (i.e. the mature colleges and the women-only colleges) are given priority over applicants eligible for their colleges. Some applicants will be fished (selected from the pool) by the college that originally pooled them.^[120]

Once all the colleges have fished as many applicants as they need, the pool ends. Some fished applicants will then be re-interviewed by their fishing college before final admissions decisions are made.

Colleges can pool any candidate, either because the college has no space but believes the applicant is strong enough to get a place, or because the college wants to compare that applicant to other pooled applicants. Most applicants in the pool are pooled at their original college’s discretion, but some candidates meet the compulsory pooling criteria. For applicants applying for 2022 entry, compulsory pooling has been suspended for all subjects with pre-interview assessments as well as maths.^[121]

There were, as of the 2020/21 admissions cycle, only two grounds for compulsory pooling. For post-qualified applicants, their achieved grades at A level or equivalent (listed below) and, for applicants with overseas interviews, an interview score of at least 8 in all interviews. The second criterion does not apply to medicine applicants.^[122] Previously, AS-Level UMS have been used as pooling criteria, but after A-levels became linear this was discontinued.^[122]

Compulsory pooling criteria for post-qualified candidates

Qualification Type	Minimum grades	Notes
A-Levels	A*A*A*	For science applicants, at least three A*s must be in science/maths subjects
International Baccalaureate	43 points overall with 776 at higher level or 42 points overall with 777 at higher level	For science applicants, at least two 7s must be in science/maths subjects
Scottish Advanced Highers	A1A1A1	For science applicants, at least 3 A1s must be in science/maths subjects

As of 2012, there is only one specifically identified category for pooled applicants, which is S — in special need of reassessment. This is for candidates whose initial interview scores are of questionable accuracy, for example if a candidate received very different scores from different interviewers, experienced technical issues (in the case of interviews conducted over the internet) or was affected by significant extenuating circumstances (for example illness or the loss of a family member).^[122]

Pooled applicants who are «fished» by a college may be offered a place immediately or they may be invited for interview. In 2020 just 89 applicants were invited to re-interview, 34 of whom received offers.^[120]

Each year about 3,500 applicants receive offers from their preference college and a further 1,000–1,100 applicants are made an offer by another college through the Pool. On average one in five applicants is pooled and around one in four pooled applicants receives an offer of a place.^[120]

Statistics released by the University show that some colleges regularly receive particularly high numbers of applicants, and these colleges tend to take fewer applicants from the Pool. Other colleges regularly draw a greater proportion of their undergraduate intake from the Pool.^[123]

Access[edit]

Public debate in the United Kingdom continues over whether admissions processes at Oxford and Cambridge are entirely merit-based and fair, whether enough students from state schools are encouraged to apply to Cambridge, and whether these students are offered sufficient admission. In 2020–21, 71% of all successful applicants were from state schools^[126] (about 93% of all students in the UK attend state schools, and 82% of post-16 students^[127]). Critics have argued that the relative lower percent of state school applicants with the required grades for admission to Cambridge and Oxford has had a negative impact on Oxford and Cambridge’s collective reputation, though both universities have encouraged pupils from state schools to apply for Cambridge to help redress the perceived imbalance.^[128] Others counter that government pressure to increase state school admissions constitutes inappropriate social engineering.^[129][130] The proportion of undergraduates drawn from independent schools has dropped over the years, constituting, as of 2020, a minority (26%) of total admissions among the university’s 3,436 applicants from independent schools compared to 23% of the 9,237 applications from state schools.^[131] Cambridge, together with Oxford and Durham, is among those universities that have adopted formulae that issues a rating to the GCSE performance of every school in the country to weigh the scores of university applicants.^{[132][failed verification]}

With the release of admissions figures, a 2013 article in The Guardian reported that ethnic minority candidates had lower success rates in individual subjects even when they had the same grades as white applicants. The university was criticised for what was seen as institutional discrimination against ethnic minority applicants in favour of white applicants. The university denied the claims of institutional discrimination, stating the figures did not take into account other variables.^[133] A subsequent article reported that, in the years 2010–2012, ethnic minority applicants to medicine with 3 A* grades or higher were 20% less likely to gain admission than white applicants with similar grades. The university refused to provide figures for a wider range of subjects, claiming such reporting would prove excessively costly.^[134]

There are a number of educational consultancies that offer support with the application process to the University of Cambridge. Some make claims of improving chances for admission, though these claims have never been independently verified. None of these companies are affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Cambridge. The university informs applicants that all necessary information regarding the application process is publicly available through the university and none of these services is providing any insight not already publicly available to applicants.^[135]

The University of Cambridge has been criticised for admitting a lower percentage of Black students, though many apply. Of the 31 colleges at Cambridge, six of them admitted fewer than 10 Black or mixed race students between 2012 and 2016.^[136] Similar criticism exists over a relatively lower admission rate for white working class applicants; in 2019, only 2% of admitted students were white working class.^[137]

In January 2021, Cambridge created foundation courses for disadvantaged students.^[138] While the usual entry requirements are A*AA in A-Levels, the one-year foundation course has 50 places for students who achieve BBB.^[139] If successful on the course, students receive a recognised CertHE qualification and can progress to degrees in the arts, humanities, and social sciences at the university.^[138] Candidates include those who have been in care, who are estranged from their families, who have missed significant periods of learning because of health issues, those from low-income backgrounds and those from schools that send few students to university.^[138]

Teaching[edit]

The academic year is divided into three academic terms, determined by the statutes of the university.^[140] Michaelmas term lasts from October to December; the Lent term last from January to March; and the Easter term last from April to June.

Within these terms, undergraduate teaching takes place within eight-week periods called Full Terms. According to university statutes, it is a requirement during these periods that all students should live within three miles of the Church of St Mary the Great; this is defined as keeping term. Students eligible for graduation must fulfill this condition for nine terms (three years) while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or twelve terms (four years) when studying for a Master of Science, engineering, or mathematics degree.^[141]

These terms are shorter than those of many other British universities.^[142] Undergraduates are also expected to prepare heavily in the three holidays (known as the Christmas, Easter, and Long Vacation holiday periods), which is they are referred to by the university as vacations rather than holidays; students vacate the premises but are still expected to be pursuing studies and assignments.

The Tripos exam involves a mixture of lectures (organised by the university departments) and supervisions (organised by the colleges). Science subjects involve laboratory sessions organised by the departments. The relative importance of these methods of teaching varies according to the needs of the subject. Supervisions are typically weekly hour-long sessions in which small groups of students (usually between one and three) meet with a member of the teaching staff or with a doctoral student. Students are normally required to complete an assignment in advance of this supervision, which they then discuss with the supervisor during the session. The assignment is often an essay on a subject assigned by the supervisor, or a problem sheet set by the lecturer. Depending on the subject and college, students sometimes receive between one and four supervisions per week.^[143] This pedagogical system is often cited as being unique to Oxford (where supervisions are known as tutorials)^[144] and Cambridge and is sometimes credited with the exceptional nature generally associated with the education at these two world-renowned universities.

A tutor named William Farish developed the concept of grading students’ work quantitatively at the University of Cambridge in 1792.^[145]

Research[edit]

The University of Cambridge has research departments and teaching faculties in nearly every academic discipline, and ll research and lectures are conducted by university departments. The colleges are charged with giving or arranging most supervisions, student accommodation, and funding most extracurricular activities. During the 1990s, the University of Cambridge added a substantial number of new specialist research laboratories on several sites around the city, and major expansion continues on a number of sites.^[146] The University of Cambridge also maintains a research partnership with MIT in the United States, known as the Cambridge–MIT Institute.

Graduation tradition and ceremony[edit]

Each graduation is a separate act of the university’s governing body, Regent House, and must be voted on as with any other act. A formal meeting of Regent House, known as a congregation, is held for this purpose.^[147]
This is typically the final act during which all university procedures for undergraduate and graduate students and other degrees are finalized. After degrees are approved, candidates must request their respective Colleges to present them during commencement congregation.

Graduates receiving an undergraduate degree wear the academic dress to which they are entitled prior to graduating; for example, most students becoming Bachelor of Arts graduates wear undergraduate gowns and not BA gowns. Graduates receiving a post-graduate degree (e.g. PhD or Master’s) wear the academic dress that they were entitled to before graduating if their first degree was also from the University of Cambridge; if their first degree was from another university, they wear the academic dress of the degree that they are about to receive. The BA gown without the strings is worn if the graduate is 24 years old or younger, and the MA gown without strings is worn if the graduate is 24 years old or over.^[148] Graduates are presented their degrees in Senate House by each respective college in order of foundation or recognition by the university, except for the university’s royal colleges.

During the congregation, graduands are brought forth by the Praelector of their respective college, who takes them by the right hand and presents them to the vice-chancellor to receive the degree they have earned. The Praelector presents graduands with the following Latin statement (the following forms were used when the vice-chancellor was female), substituting «____» with the name of the degree:

«Dignissima domina, Domina Procancellaria et tota Academia praesento vobis hunc virum quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneum ad gradum assequendum _____; idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

(Most worthy Vice-Chancellor and the whole University, I present to you this man whom I know to be suitable as much by character as by learning to proceed to the degree of ____; for which I pledge my faith to you and to the whole University.)»

and female graduands with the following:

«Dignissima domina, Domina Procancellaria et tota Academia praesento vobis hanc mulierem quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneam ad gradum assequendum ____; idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

(Most worthy Vice-Chancellor and the whole University, I present to you this woman whom I know to be suitable as much by character as by learning to proceed to the degree of ____; for which I pledge my faith to you and to the whole University.)»

After presentation, the graduate is called by name and kneels before the vice-chancellor and proffers their hands to the vice-chancellor, who clasps them and then confers the degree through the following Latin statement, known as the Trinitarian formula (in nomine Patris…) may be omitted at the request of the graduand:

«Auctoritate mihi commissa admitto te ad gradum ____, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

(By the authority committed to me, I admit you to the degree of ____, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.)»

The new graduate then rises, bows and leaves the Senate House through the Doctor’s door in Senate House Passage, where they receive their degree certificate.^[147]

For the Cambridge Master of Arts, the degree is not awarded by merit of study, but by right following six years and one term after matriculation.

Libraries and museums[edit]

The university has 116 libraries.^[149] Cambridge University Library is the central research library, and holds over eight million volumes. It is a legal deposit library, which entitles it to request a free copy of every book published in the UK and Ireland.^[150]

In addition to the University Library and its dependents, almost every faculty or department has a specialised library; for example, the History Faculty’s Seeley Historical Library houses in excess of 100,000 books. Every college also maintains a library, partly for the purpose of undergraduate teaching; older colleges often possess many early books and manuscripts in a separate library. For example, Trinity College’s Wren Library houses over 200,000 books printed before 1800 and Corpus Christi College’s Parker Library has one of the greatest collections of medieval manuscripts in the world with over 600 manuscripts. Churchill Archives Centre on the campus of Churchill College houses the official papers of former British prime ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

Cambridge University operates eight arts, cultural, and scientific museums, and a botanic garden.^[151] Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum; Kettle’s Yard is a contemporary art gallery; the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology houses the university’s collections of local antiquities along with archaeological and ethnographic artefacts from around the world; Cambridge University Museum of Zoology houses a wide range of zoological specimens from around the world and is known for its iconic finback whale skeleton that hangs outside. Cambridge University Museum of Zoology also holds specimens collected by Charles Darwin, an 1831 University of Cambridge alumnus. Other museums include the Museum of Classical Archaeology, Whipple Museum of the History of Science, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, the university’s geology museum, and Polar Museum, part of the Scott Polar Research Institute, which is dedicated to Captain Scott and his men and focuses on the exploration of the Polar Regions.

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden, created in 1831, is the university’s botanic garden.

Publishing and assessments[edit]

The university’s publishing arm, the Cambridge University Press & Assessment, is the oldest printer and publisher in the world and the second largest university press in the world.^[152][153]

The university established its Local Examination Syndicate in 1858. The syndicate is now known as Cambridge University Press & Assessment having merged with Cambridge University Press (see above) and is Europe’s largest assessment agency. Cambridge University Press & Assessment plays a leading role in researching, developing, and delivering assessments across the globe.^[154]

Awards[edit]

The University of Cambridge issues a considerable number of prestigious awards and prizes annually to accomplished University of Cambridge faculty and students. It also issues some awards to those of varying global academic accomplishment regardless of whether their recipient is affiliated with the University of Cambridge. Some of these awards and prizes rank among the world’s most estimable academic and intellectual accomplishments. Among the most prominent of these are:

• Adam Smith Prize, awarded annually to the university’s top-performing student in economics
• Adams Prize, awarded annually by University of Cambridge mathematics faculty to a UK resident in recognition of distinguished research in mathematics
• Browne Medal, awarded annually to students who win the Latin and Greek poetry competition
• Carus Greek Testament Prizes, a prize issued to winners of an annual competition of the university’s undergraduate and graduate in Greek translation of New Testament passeges
• Chancellor’s Gold Medal, a prize issued to winners of the university’s annual poetry competition
• Porson Prize, a prize for students who develop the best Greek composition
• Raymond Horton-Smith Prize, awarded annually to the University of Cambridge Medical School student for the best medical school thesis
• Seatonian Prize, awarded annually for the best English language poem on a sacred subject
• Senior Wrangler, awarded annually to the university’s top performing student on the Mathematical Tripos described as «the greatest intellectual achievement attainable in Britain.»^[34]
• Thirlwall Prize, awarded every other year for the best essay about British literature or history
• Thomas Bond Sprague Prize, awarded to the student with the best performing score on Part III of the Mathematical Tripos
• Tyson Medal, awarded annually to the top astronomy student

Reputation and rankings[edit]

Rankings

National rankings
Complete (2023)[155]	2
Guardian (2023)[156]	2
Times / Sunday Times (2022)[157]	3
Global rankings
THE (2023)[158]	=3
QS (2023)[159]	2
ARWU (2022)[160]	3

The University of Cambridge is routinely ranked among the world’s top five universities, and has sometimes been ranked as the world’s best. As of 2023, the University of Cambridge is ranked the second-best university in the world behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by QS Rankings.^[161] As of 2023, ARWU ranked Cambridge the best university in Europe and third best in the world behind Harvard and Stanford.^[162] Times Higher Education ranks Cambridge the third best university in the world (tied with Stanford) in its 2023 rankings.^[163]

In April 2022, the QS Rankings ranked Cambridge’s programmes among the world’s best. Cambridge’s Arts and Humanities program is ranked second-best in the world. The University of Cambridge’s Engineering and Technology program is ranked second-best in the world. Its Life Sciences and Medicine program is ranked fourth best in the world. Its Natural Sciences program is ranked third best in the world. Its Social Sciences and Management program is ranked fourth best in the world.^[164]

In 2011, Times Higher Education recognised the University of Cambridge as one of the world’s six super brands on its «World Reputation Rankings» along with Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and Stanford.^[165]

Cambridge has been highly ranked by most international and UK league tables. It ranked first in the world in the QS World University Rankings, for instance, from 2010–11 to 2011–12.^[166][167] A 2006 Newsweek overall ranking, which combined elements of the THES-QS and ARWU rankings with other factors that purportedly evaluated an institution’s global «openness and diversity», suggested Cambridge was sixth around the globe.^[168] The Guardian, in 2012, ranked the University of Cambridge above Oxford in philosophy, law, politics, theology, mathematics, classics, anthropology, and modern languages.^[169] In the 2009 Times Good University Guide Subject Rankings, the University of Cambridge ranked first or tied for first in the world in 34 of the 42 academic disciplines offered at the university.^[170]

The University of Cambridge is ranked the best university in the UK by Times Ranking and the UK’s second-best university by The Complete University Guide. In the 2016 Complete University Guide, the University of Cambridge is ranked first among all UK’s universities; this ranking is based on a broad range of criteria, including admissions standards, student satisfaction, quality of teaching in specific subjects, and job prospects for graduates.^[171] The university is ranked second-best in the UK for the quality of graduates according to recruiters from UK’s major companies.^[172]

In the 2001 and 2008 government Research Assessment Exercises, the University of Cambridge ranked first in the UK.^[173] In 2005, the University of Cambridge produced more PhDs annually than any other British university (over 30% more than second placed Oxford).^[174] In 2006, a Thomson Scientific study showed that the University of Cambridge had the highest research paper output of any British university and ranked first in research production as assessed by total paper citation count in ten of 21 major British research fields.^[175] An evidence-based study published the same year showed that the University of Cambridge won a larger proportion (6.6%) of total British research grants and contracts than any other university, ranking first in three out of four major measured discipline fields.^[176]

The University of Cambridge is also closely linked with the development of the high tech business cluster in and around Cambridge, known as Silicon Fen and sometimes referred to as the Cambridge Phenomenon. As of 2004, Silicon Fen was the second largest venture capital market in the world after Silicon Valley. Estimates in February 2006 reported that approximately 250 active startup companies directly linked with the University of Cambridge worth around US$6 billion were based in Silicon Fen.^[177]

Student life[edit]

Formal halls and May balls[edit]

One privilege of student life at Cambridge is the opportunity to attend formal dinners at a student’s respective college, known as Formal Hall and occurring regularly during terms and daily at some of the university’s colleges. During Formal Hall, students sit down for a meal in their gowns (at most colleges) while fellows and sometimes guests eat separately at a so-called High Table. The beginning and end of the function is usually marked with grace said in Latin. Special Formal Halls are organised for Christmas and the Commemoration of Benefactors.^[178]

After the exam period, May Week is held during which it is customary to celebrate by attending May Balls, which are all-night lavish parties held in the colleges where food and drinks and entertainment are provided. So-called Suicide Sunday, the first day of May Week, is a popular date for garden parties.^[179]

JCR and MCR[edit]

In addition to university-wide representation, students can participate in their own college student unions, which are known as JCR (Junior Combination Room) for undergraduates and MCR (Middle Combination Room) for post-graduates. These serve as a link between college staff and members and include officers elected annually between the fellow students; individual JCR and MCRs also report to CUSU, which offers training courses for some of the positions within the body.^[180]

Societies[edit]

Numerous student-run societies exist at the University of Cambridge in order to encourage students who share common passions or interests to periodically meet or discuss these interests. As of 2010, there were 751 registered societies at the university.^[181] In addition to these, individual colleges often promote their own societies and sports teams.

Although technically independent from the university, Cambridge Union, a globally-renowned debate organization and the oldest debate organization in the world, offers students high-level debate and public speaking experience. Drama societies include the Amateur Dramatic Club (ADC) and the comedy club Footlights, which are known for producing well-known show business personalities. The Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra offers a range of orchestra programs, including symphonies; the orchestra’s membership is composed entirely of university students.

Sports[edit]

Rowing is one of the most popular sports at the University of Cambridge, and there are competitions between colleges, notably the bumps races. The University of Cambridge’s rowing competition against Oxford is known as Boat Race. Varsity matches against Oxford also exist in other sports, including cricket, rugby, chess, and tiddlywinks. Athletes representing the university in certain sports are entitled to apply for a Cambridge Blue at the discretion of the Blues Committee, which includes captains of the thirteen most prestigious university sports teams. University organizations also include the self-described unashamedly elite Hawks’ Club, open to men only and usually restricted to Cambridge Full Blues and Half Blues.^[182] The Ospreys are the equivalent female club.

The University of Cambridge Sports Centre opened in August 2013. Phase 1 included a 37x34m Sports Hall, a fitness suite, a strength and conditioning Room, a multi-purpose room and Eton and Rugby fives courts. Phase 1b included five glass-backed squash courts and a team training room. Future phases include indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a swimming pool.^[183]

The university also has an athletic track at Wilberforce Road, an indoor cricket school, and Fenner’s cricket ground.

Student newspapers and radio[edit]

Cambridge’s oldest student newspaper is Varsity. Established in 1947, notable figures to have edited the newspaper include Jeremy Paxman, BBC media editor Amol Rajan, and Vogue international editor Suzy Menkes. The student newspaper also has featured the early writings of Zadie Smith (who appeared in Varsity‘s literary anthology offshoot The Mays), Robert Webb, Tristram Hunt, and Tony Wilson.

Varsity has a circulation of 9,000 and is the only student publication published weekly. News stories from Varsity have appeared in The Guardian, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, and i.

Other student publications include The Cambridge Student, which is funded by Cambridge Students’ Union and is published fortnightly, and The Tab. Founded by two Cambridge students in 2009, The Tab is an online media outlet featuring light-hearted features content. The Mays is a literary anthology including student prose, poetry, and visual art from both University of Cambridge and Oxford students. Founded in 1992 by three Cambridge students, the anthology publishes once a year and is overseen by Varsity Publications Ltd., the same body responsible for Varsity. Another literary journal, Notes, is published roughly twice per term. Many colleges also have their own publications run by students.

The student radio station, Cam FM, is run jointly by University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University students. One of few student radio stations to have an FM licence (frequency 97.2 MHz), the station hosts a mixture of music, talk, and sports shows.

Student Unions[edit]

All students at the University of Cambridge are represented by Cambridge Students’ Union, which was founded in 2020 as a merger of two existing Student Unions in Cambridge: CUSU (the Cambridge University Students’ Union) and the GU (the Graduate Union). CUSU previously represented all University students, and the GU solely represented graduate students.^[184][185]

The eight most important positions in the SU are occupied by sabbatical officers.^[186] In 2020, the sabbatical officers were elected with a turnout of 20.88% of the whole student body.^[187]

In 2021, Cambridge Students’ Union launched a petition opposing the financial collaboration between the university and the government of United Arab Emirates that was worth £400m. The Union cited the «values gap» and threat to «academic freedom and institutional autonomy» reviewed following the release of internal UAE documents. Citing UAE’s history of violating international human rights laws, Cambridge UCU warned that university staff were vulnerable to repression by gender, sexuality, or freedom of expression.^[188]

Controversies[edit]

In recent years, Cambridge has come under increased criticism and legal challenges resulting from alleged sexual harassment.^[189][190] In 2019, for example, former student Danielle Bradford, represented by sexual harassment lawyer Ann Olivarius, sued the university for its handling of her sexual misconduct complaint. «I was told that I should think about it very carefully because making a complaint could affect my place in my department,» Bradford alleged in 2019.^[191] In 2020, hundreds of current and former students accused the university in a letter, citing «a complete failure» to deal with sexual misconduct complaints.^[192]

Notable alumni and academics[edit]

Over the course of a history now exceeding 800 years, a number of University of Cambridge alumni and faculty have emerged as trailblazing thought leaders, innovators, and historical icons in their respective fields. As of 2020, 121 affiliates of the University of Cambridge have won 122 Nobel Prizes (more than any university or college in the world)^[193][194]) with 70 alumni winning the prize. As of 2019, Cambridge alumni, faculty members, and researchers have won 11 Fields Medals and seven Turing Awards.

Highly notable University of Cambridge alumni by specialty include:

Education[edit]

Notable alumni in academia include the founders and early professors of Harvard University, including John Harvard himself; Emily Davies, founder of Girton College at Cambridge, the first residential higher education institution for women, and John Haden Badley, founder of the first mixed-sex public school (i.e. not public) in England; Anil Kumar Gain, 20th century mathematician and founder of the Vidyasagar University in Bengal, Siram Govindarajulu Naidu, founder and vice chancellor of Sri Venkateswara University; and Menachem Ben-Sasson, president of Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel.

Humanities, music, and art[edit]

In the humanities, Greek studies were inaugurated at the University of Cambridge in the early sixteenth century by Desiderius Erasmus; contributions to the field were made by Richard Bentley and Richard Porson. John Chadwick was associated with Michael Ventris in the decipherment of Linear B. The Latinist A. E. Housman taught at the university but is more widely known for his contributions as a poet. Simon Ockley made a significant contribution to Arabic Studies.

University of Cambridge academics include economists such as John Maynard Keynes, Thomas Malthus, Alfred Marshall, Milton Friedman, Joan Robinson, Piero Sraffa, Ha-Joon Chang, and Amartya Sen. Notable philosophers include Francis Bacon, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Leo Strauss, George Santayana, G. E. M. Anscombe, Karl Popper, Bernard Williams, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, and G. E. Moore. Notable alumni historians include Thomas Babington Macaulay, Frederic William Maitland, Lord Acton, Joseph Needham, E. H. Carr, Hugh Trevor-Roper, Rhoda Dorsey, E. P. Thompson, Eric Hobsbawm, Quentin Skinner, Niall Ferguson, Howard Markel, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., and Karl Schweizer.

Notable alumni in religion include Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury and his predecessors; William Tyndale, the biblical translator; Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley, known as the Oxford martyrs from the place of their execution; Benjamin Whichcote and the Cambridge Platonists; William Paley, the Christian philosopher known primarily for formulating the teleological argument for the existence of God; William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson, largely responsible for the abolition of the slave trade; Evangelical churchman Charles Simeon; John William Colenso, the bishop of Natal who interpreted Scripture and its relations with native peoples that seemed dangerously radical at the time; John Bainbridge Webster and David F. Ford, theologians; and six winners of the Templeton Prize, the highest accolade in the world associated with the study of religion.

Notable University of Cambridge alumni in the field of musical composition include Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Villiers Stanford, William Sterndale Bennett, Orlando Gibbons and, more recently, Alexander Goehr, Thomas Adès, John Rutter, Julian Anderson, Judith Weir, and Maury Yeston. The university has also produced world-renowned instrumentalists and conductors, including Colin Davis, John Eliot Gardiner, Roger Norrington, Trevor Pinnock, Andrew Manze, Richard Egarr, Mark Elder, Richard Hickox, Christopher Hogwood, Andrew Marriner, David Munrow, Simon Standage, Endellion Quartet, and Fitzwilliam Quartet. Although the university in music predominantly for its contributions to choral music, university alumni in popular music include members of contemporary bands such as Radiohead, Hot Chip, Procol Harum, Clean Bandit, Sports Team songwriter and entertainer Jonathan King, Henry Cow, and the singer-songwriter Nick Drake.

Artists Quentin Blake, Roger Fry, Rose Ferraby, and Julian Trevelyan, sculptors Antony Gormley, Marc Quinn, and Anthony Caro, and photographers Antony Armstrong-Jones, Cecil Beaton, and Mick Rock are each University of Cambridge alumni.

Literature[edit]

Writers to have studied at the university include the Elizabethan dramatist Christopher Marlowe, his fellow University Wits, Thomas Nashe, and Robert Greene, arguably the first professional authors in England, and John Fletcher who collaborated with Shakespeare on The Two Noble Kinsmen, Henry VIII, and the lost Cardenio and succeeded him as house playwright for The King’s Men. Samuel Pepys matriculated in 1650, known for his diary, the original manuscripts of which are now housed in the Pepys Library at Magdalene College. Lawrence Sterne, whose novel Tristram Shandy is judged to have inspired many modern narrative devices and styles. In the following century, the novelists W. M. Thackeray, author of Vanity Fair, Charles Kingsley, author of Westward Ho! and Water Babies, and Samuel Butler, remembered for The Way of All Flesh and Erewhon, are all University of Cambridge alumni.

Ghost story writer M. R. James served as provost of King’s College from 1905 to 1918. Novelist Amy Levy was the first Jewish woman to attend the university. Modernist writers to have attended the university include E. M. Forster, Rosamond Lehmann, Vladimir Nabokov, Christopher Isherwood, and Malcolm Lowry. Playwright J. B. Priestley, physicist and novelist C. P. Snow, and children’s writer A. A. Milne are each early 20th century alumni of the university. They were followed by postmodernists Patrick White, J. G. Ballard, and early postcolonial writer E. R. Braithwaite. More recently, alumni include comedy writers Douglas Adams, Tom Sharpe and Howard Jacobson, the popular novelists A. S. Byatt, Salman Rushdie, Nick Hornby, Zadie Smith, Louise Dean, Robert Harris, and Sebastian Faulks, action writers Michael Crichton, David Gibbins, and Jin Yong, and contemporary playwrights and screenwriters, including Julian Fellowes, Stephen Poliakoff, Michael Frayn, and Peter Shaffer.

Within poetry, University of Cambridge alumni include the poets Edmund Spenser, author of The Faerie Queene, metaphysical poets John Donne, who wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls, George Herbert and Andrew Marvell, and John Milton, who is renowned for Paradise Lost, Restoration poet and playwright John Dryden, pre-romantic poet Thomas Gray best known his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, William Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose joint work Lyrical Ballads is often cited as marking the beginning of the Romantic movement, later Romantics including Lord Byron and the post-romantic Lord Tennyson, authors of the best known carpe diem poems, including Robert Herrick known for «To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time» with the first line «Gather ye rosebuds while ye may», and Andrew Marvell, who authored «To His Coy Mistress», classical scholar and lyric poet A. E. Housman, war poets Siegfried Sassoon and Rupert Brooke, modernist T. E. Hulme, confessional poets Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and John Berryman, and, more recently, Cecil Day-Lewis, Joseph Brodsky, Kathleen Raine, and Geoffrey Hill. At least nine Poets Laureate graduated from the University of Cambridge. University alumni have also made notable contributions to literary criticism, having produced, among others, F. R. Leavis, I. A. Richards, C. K. Ogden, and William Empson, often collectively known as the Cambridge Critics, the Marxists Raymond Williams, sometimes regarded as the founding father of cultural studies, and Terry Eagleton, author of Literary Theory: An Introduction, the most successful academic book ever published, the aesthetician Harold Bloom, new historicist Stephen Greenblatt, and biographical writers including Lytton Strachey, a central figure in the Bloomsbury Group, Peter Ackroyd, and Claire Tomalin.

Actors and directors who attended the University of Cambridge include Ian McKellen, Eleanor Bron, Miriam Margolyes, Derek Jacobi, Michael Redgrave, James Mason, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, John Cleese, John Oliver, Freddie Highmore, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie, Simon Russell Beale, Tilda Swinton, Thandie Newton, Georgie Henley, Rachel Weisz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Tom Hiddleston, Sara Mohr-Pietsch, Eddie Redmayne, Dan Stevens, Jamie Bamber, Lily Cole, David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Richard Ayoade, Mel Giedroyc, and Sue Perkins. Directors Mike Newell, Sam Mendes, Stephen Frears, Paul Greengrass, Chris Weitz, and John Madden each are alumni of the university.

Mathematics and sciences[edit]

Isaac Newton, who conducted many of his experiments on the grounds of Trinity College, ranks among the most famed University of Cambridge alumni. Other alumni of the university include Francis Bacon, who developed the scientific method of inquiry, mathematicians John Dee and Brook Taylor, pure mathematicians G. H. Hardy, John Edensor Littlewood, Mary Cartwright, and Augustus De Morgan; Michael Atiyah, a geometry specialist; William Oughtred, inventor of the logarithmic scale; John Wallis, first to explain the law of acceleration; Srinivasa Ramanujan, a genius who made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions; and James Clerk Maxwell, who brought about the second great unification of physics (the first being accredited to Newton) with his classical theory of electromagnetic radiation. In 1890, mathematician Philippa Fawcett, a University of Cambridge student, registered the highest score in the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos exams but as a woman was then ineligible to claim the title Senior Wrangler.

In biology, University of Cambridge alumni include Charles Darwin, famous for developing the theory of natural selection and explaining evolution, is an alumnus of Christ’s College. Biologists Francis Crick and James Watson developed the model explaining the three-dimensional structure of DNA while working at the Cavendish Laboratory; University of Cambridge graduates Maurice Wilkins and especially Rosalind Franklin produced key X-ray crystallography data, which was shared with Watson by Wilkins. Wilkins went on to verify the proposed structure and win the Nobel Prize with Watson and Crick. More recently, Ian Wilmut was part of the team responsible for the first cloning of a mammal (Dolly the Sheep in 1996), naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough, ethologist Jane Goodall, expert on chimpanzees was a PhD student at the university, anthropologist Dame Alison Richard, former vice-chancellor of the university, and Frederick Sanger, a biochemist known for developing Sanger sequencing and receiving two Nobel prizes.

Despite the university’s delay in admitting women to its full degree programs, women associated with the University of Cambridge have been at the heart of scientific research throughout the 20th century. Notable female scientists include biochemist Marjory Stephenson, plant physiologist Gabrielle Howard, social anthropologist Audrey Richards, psychoanalyst Alix Strachey, who with her husband translated the works of Sigmund Freud, Kavli Prize-winner Brenda Milner, respnsible for co-discovering specialised brain networks for memory and cognition. Veterinary epidemiologist Sarah Cleaveland has contributed to advances in eliminating rabies in the Serengeti.^[195]

The university is widely considered the birthplace of the computer; mathematician and father of the computer Charles Babbage designed the world’s first computing system as early as the mid-1800s. Cambridge alumnus Alan Turing devised the basis for modern computing, and Maurice Wilkes later created the first programmable computer. The webcam was also invented at the University of Cambridge, showing the Trojan Room coffee pot in the university’s computer laboratories.

In physics, Ernest Rutherford, regarded as the father of nuclear physics, spent much of his life at the university, where he worked closely with E. J. Williams and Niels Bohr, a major contributor to the understanding of the atom, J. J. Thomson, discoverer of the electron, James Chadwick, discoverer of the neutron, and John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton, responsible for first splitting the atom. J. Robert Oppenheimer, leader of the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb, also studied under Rutherford and Thomson. Joan Curran devised the ‘chaff’ technique used during World War II to disrupt radar on Axis powers’ planes.

University of Cambridge alumni in astronomy include John Herschel, Arthur Eddington, and Paul Dirac, discoverer of antimatter and one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics; Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist and the university’s long-serving Lucasian Professor of Mathematics until 2009; and Martin Rees, the current Astronomer Royal and former Master of Trinity College. John Polkinghorne, a mathematician before his ordination to the Anglican ministry, received the Templeton Prize for his work reconciling science and religion.

Other significant university alumni in science include Henry Cavendish, who discovered hydrogen; Frank Whittle, co-inventor of the jet engine; William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), who formulated the original Laws of Thermodynamics; William Fox Talbot, who invented the camera, Alfred North Whitehead, Einstein’s major opponent; Jagadish Chandra Bose, one of the fathers of radio science; Lord Rayleigh, who made extensive contributions to both theoretical and experimental physics in the 20th century; and Georges Lemaître, who first proposed the Big Bang theory.

Politics[edit]

The University of Cambridge has a strong reputation in the field of politics, having educated:^[196]

• 14 British Prime Ministers, including Robert Walpole, who is widely regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain
• At least 30 foreign heads of state or government, including presidents of India, Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, South Korea, and Zambia; along with prime ministers of Australia, Burma, France, India, Jordan, Malaysia, Malta, Thailand, Pakistan, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand
• At least nine monarchs, including Kings Edward VII, George VI, and (current King) Charles III of the United Kingdom, King Peter II of Yugoslavia, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Queen Sofía of Spain. The university had also educated a large number of royals, including Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
• Three signatories of the United States Declaration of Independence, Thomas Lynch Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Nelson Jr.^[197]
• Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England (1653–58)^[198]

Sports[edit]

As of 2016, athletes who are university graduates or attendees had won 194 Olympic medals, including 88 gold medals.^[11] Alumni of the university include legendary Chinese six-time world table tennis champion Deng Yaping; sprinter and athletics hero Harold Abrahams; inventors of the modern game of football, H. de Winton and J. C. Thring; and George Mallory, the famed mountaineer. Indian cricketer Colonel H. H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II and Jam Saheb of Nawanagar (often known as Ranji), widely regarded as one of the best batsmen of all time, are alumni of the university.

Technology[edit]

University of Cambridge alumni are responsible some of the world’s greatest advances in technology, and several have gone on to found or co-found leading technology companies, including:

• Demis Hassabis, co-founder and chief executive officer of DeepMind, a British artificial intelligence subsidiary of Alphabet Inc responsible for the AlphaGo and AlphaFold breakthroughs in AI
• Herman Narula and Rob Whitehead, co-founders of Improbable, a British multinational company developing video game simulation software
• Sophie Wilson and Steve Furber, co-founders of ARM, a British semiconductor and software design company still based in Cambridge

In literature and popular culture[edit]

Throughout its history, the University of Cambridge has frequently been featured in literature and artistic works by various authors. As of 2020, IMDb lists 71 films or television shows that feature Cambridge as a filming location.^[199]

Cambridge was mentioned as early as the 14th century in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. In The Reeve’s Tale, the two main fictional characters are students at a Cambridge college called Soler Halle. It is believed that this refers to King’s Hall, which is now part of Trinity College.^[200]

The university has been the setting for all or parts of numerous novels, including Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Rose Macaulay’s They Were Defeated,^[201] and Tom Sharpe’s Porterhouse Blue.^[202]

Other notable examples of the University of Cambridge in popular culture include:

• Xu Zhimo’s best-known poem (1928) is Zaibie Kangqiao (simplified Chinese: 再别康桥; traditional Chinese: 再別康橋;.: ‘again (or once more) leave Cambridge’), variously translated into English as «On Leaving Cambridge», «Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again», «Goodbye Again, Cambridge», etc. The poem is part of China’s national curriculum taught to all schoolchildren and has generated a tremendous amount of adoration of Cambridge in China.^[203]
• In the Psmith series (1908–1923 collection of novels) by P. G. Wodehouse, both the title character and Mike, his closest friend, study at the University of Cambridge.
• Chariots of Fire (1981 film) by Hugh Hudson is partly set at Cambridge between 1919 and 1924, when protagonist Harold Abrahams (played by Ben Cross) was a student there.
• Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983) features Churchill College in the film’s church scene. Many members of Monty Python are University of Cambridge alumni.
• True Blue (1996) is a film about the mutiny at the time of the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race of 1987.
• In The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019), Raj Koothrappali, portrayed by Kunal Nayyar, studied astrophysics at Cambridge, and Priya Koothrappali, portrayed by Aarti Mann, studied law at Cambridge.
• The History Boys (2008) is a film about a group of boys applying to do history at Oxford and Cambridge.
• In Guy Richie’s 2011 film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Sherlock Holmes is shown meeting his nemesis, Professor Moriarty, in Moriarty’s office with a brief stock shot establishing this as King’s College, where Moriarty is a professor.
• In James Marsh’s 2014 biographical film The Theory of Everything, young Stephen Hawking falls in love with literature student Jane Wilde at the University of Cambridge, where both of them study.
• The Imitation Game is a 2014 historical drama that features Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch). Several lines in the film’s dialogue make reference to Turing being a Cambridge alumnus and fellow of King’s College of Cambridge.
• The 2015 film The Man Who Knew Infinity about mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan was filmed at Trinity College, Cambridge, where Ramanujan was a fellow.

Gallery[edit]

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See also[edit]

• Armorial of British universities
• Cambridge University Constabulary
• Cambridge University primates
• Coat of arms of the University of Cambridge
• List of medieval universities
• List of Nobel laureates affiliated with the University of Cambridge
• List of organisations and institutions associated with the University of Cambridge
• List of organisations with a British royal charter
• List of professorships at the University of Cambridge
• List of universities in the United Kingdom

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

Sources[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• Anonymous (2009) [1790]. A Concise and Accurate Description of the University, Town and County of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-00065-9.
• Brooke, Christopher N. L. (1988–2004). A History of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, 4 vols., ISBN 0-521-32882-9, ISBN 0-521-35059-X, ISBN 0-521-35060-3, ISBN 0-521-34350-X
• Deacon, Richard (1985). The Cambridge Apostles: A History of Cambridge University’s Elite Intellectual Secret Society. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-947728-13-7.
• Garrett, Martin (2004). Cambridge: A Cultural and Literary History, Signal Books. ISBN 1-902669-79-7
• Koyama, Noboru; Ruxton, Ian, transl. «Japanese Students at Cambridge University in the Meiji Era, 1868–1912: Pioneers for the Modernization of Japan«. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2009., A Translation from a Japanese Original. Lulu Press. 2004. ISBN 978-1-4116-1256-3. This book includes information about the wooden spoon and the university in the 19th century as well as the Japanese students.
• Leader, Damien (1988–2004). A History of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-32882-1.
• Lee, John S. and Christian Steer, eds, Commemoration in Medieval Cambridge History of the University of Cambridge, Boydell, 2018. ISBN 978-1-78327-334-8
• Leedham-Green, Elisabeth (1996). A Concise History of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-43978-7.
• Rawle, Tim (2016). Adamson, John (ed.). Cambridge. Oxbridge Portfolio. ISBN 978-0-9572867-2-6.
• Smith, J.; Stray, C. (2001). Teaching and Learning in 19th-Century Cambridge. Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-783-2.
• Stubbings, Frank (1995). Bedders, Bulldogs and Bedells: A Cambridge Glossary. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-47978-3.
• Webb, Grayden (2005). The History of the University of Cambridge and Education in England. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-32882-1.
• Willis, Robert (1988). Clark, John Willis (ed.). The Architectural History of the University of Cambridge and of the Colleges of Cambridge and Eton. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-35851-4.

External links[edit]

• Official website
• Cambridge University Students’ Union
• Cambridge University Graduate Union
• Interactive map—a zoomable map linking to all the university departments and colleges
• ACAD—A Cambridge Alumni Database, covering the period of approximately 1200 to 1900

Coordinates: 52°12′19″N 0°7′2″E / 52.20528°N 0.11722°E

метки: Университет, Кембридж, Английский, Перевод, Кембриджский, University, College, Студент

Семестровая работа за I семестр по английскому языку

Выполнил: студент группы МСС-126 Ошурко В. Д.

Волгоградский государственный технический университет (ВолгГТУ)

Волгоград, 2010 г.

The University of Cambridge (informally Cambridge University, or simply Cambridge) is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second oldest university in both England and the English-speaking world and the seventh oldest university globally. In post-nominals the university’s name is abbreviated as Cantab, a shortened form of Cantabrigiensis (an adjective derived fromCantabrigia, the Latinised form of Cambridge).

The university grew out of an association of scholars in the city of Cambridge that was formed, early records suggest, in 1209 by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with townsfolk. The two «ancient universities» have many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge. In addition to cultural and practical associations as a historic part of British society, the two universities have a long history of rivalry with each other.

Academically, Cambridge ranks as one of the world’s top universities, as well as a leading university in Europe, and contends with Oxford for first place in UK league tables. Affiliates of the University have won more Nobel Prizes than those of any other institution in the world — with 88 Nobel Laureates as of October 4, 2010 — the most recent one being Robert G. Edwards for the prize in physiology or medicine. The University is a member of the Russell Group of research-led British universities, the Coimbra Group, the League of European Research Universities and the International Alliance of Research Universities. It forms part of the ‘Golden Triangle’ of British universities.

History

Cambridge’s status was enhanced by a charter in 1231 from King Henry III of England which awarded the ius non trahi extra (a right to discipline its own members) plus some exemption from taxes, and a bull in 1233 from Pope Gregory IX that gave graduates from Cambridge the right to teach everywhere in Christendom.

After Cambridge was described as a studiumgenerale in a letter by Pope Nicholas IV in 1290, and confirmed as such in a bull by Pope John XXII in 1318, it became common for researchers from other European medieval universities to come and visit Cambridge to study or to give lecture courses.

10 стр., 4750 слов

На английском языке Мой университет/ My University с переводом на русский язык

… Silicon Graphics и другие. Сочинение на английском языке Мой университет/ My University с переводом на русский язык Представлено сочинение на английском языке Мой университет/ My University с переводом на русский язык. My University Мой университет My name is …

Organisation

Cambridge is a collegiate university, meaning that it is made up of self-governing and independent colleges, each with its own property and income. Most colleges bring together academics and students from a broad range of disciplines, and within each faculty, school or department within the university, academics from many different colleges will be found.

The faculties are responsible for ensuring that lectures are given, arranging seminars, performing research and determining the syllabi for teaching, overseen by the General Board. Together with the central administration headed by the Vice-Chancellor, they make up the entire Cambridge University. Facilities such as libraries are provided on all these levels: by the University (the Cambridge University Library), by the departments (departmental libraries such as the Squire Law Library), and by the individual colleges (all of which maintain a multi-discipline library, generally aimed mainly at their undergraduates).

Colleges

All students and many of the academics are attached to colleges, where they socialise. It is also the place where students may receive their small group teaching sessions, known as supervisions. Each college appoints its own teaching staff and fellows in each subject; decides which students to admit, in accordance with university regulations; provides small group teaching sessions, for undergraduates (though lectures are arranged and degrees are awarded by the university); and is responsible for the domestic arrangements and welfare of its own undergraduates, graduates, post-doctoral researchers, and staff in general.

The University of Cambridge currently has 31 colleges, of which three, Murray Edwards, Newnham and Lucy Cavendish, admit women only. The other colleges are now mixed, though most were originally all-male. Darwin was the first college to admit both men and women, while Churchill, Clare and King’s colleges were the first previously all-male colleges to admit female undergraduates in 1972. Magdalene was the last all-male college to become mixed in 1988. Clare Hall and Darwin admit only postgraduates, and Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund’s and Wolfson admit onlymature (i.e. 21 years or older on date of matriculation) students, including graduate students. All other colleges admit both undergraduate and postgraduate students with no age restrictions. Colleges are not required to admit students in all subjects, with some colleges choosing not to offer subjects such as architecture, history of art or theology, but most offer close to the complete range. Some colleges maintain a bias towards certain subjects, for example with Churchill leaning towards the sciences and engineering, while others such as St Catharine’s aim for a balanced intake.Costs to students (accommodation and food prices) vary considerably from college to college. Others maintain much more informal reputations, such as for the students of King’s College to hold left-wing political views, or Robinson College and Churchill College’s attempts to minimise its environmental impact.

There are also several theological colleges in Cambridge, including Westcott House, Westminster College and Ridley Hall Theological College, that are affiliated to the university and are members of the Cambridge Theological Federation.

3 стр., 1210 слов

На английском языке с переводом. Студенческая жизнь / College life

… меня, моя учеба держит меня занятым целый день. У меня 10 часов английского в неделю, несмотря на многочисленные семинары и лекции. Моими любимыми … in the life. Which college will be yours? The Teacher’s Training University? The Medical University? The Technical University? Or it will be … most. The first thing every student will face at the first of September is a teaching staff. How many people …

Teaching

The principal method of teaching at Cambridge colleges is the supervision. These are typically weekly hour-long sessions in which small groups of students – usually between one and three – meet with a member of the university’s teaching staff or a doctoral student. Students are normally required to complete an essay or assignment in advance of the supervision, which they will discuss with the supervisor during the session, along with any concerns or difficulties they have had with the material presented in that week’s lectures. Lectures at Cambridge are often described as being almost a mere ‘bolt-on’ to these supervisions. Students receive between one and three supervisions per week, depending upon their subject. This pedagogical system is often cited as being unique to Cambridge and Oxford (where “supervisions” are known as “tutorials”)

The concept of grading students’ work quantitatively was developed by a tutor named William Farish at the University of Cambridge in 1792.

Schools, faculties and departments

In addition to the 31 colleges, the university is made up of over 150 departments, faculties, schools, syndicates and other institutions. Members of these are usually also members of one or more of the colleges and responsibility for running the entire academic programme of the university is divided amongst them.

A ‘School’ in the University of Cambridge is a broad administrative grouping of related faculties and other units. Each has an elected supervisory body – the ‘Council’ of the school – comprising representatives of the constituent bodies. Therearesixschools:

ArtsandHumanities

BiologicalSciences

ClinicalMedicine

HumanitiesandSocialSciences

PhysicalSciences

Technology

Teaching and research in Cambridge is organised by faculties. The faculties have different organisational sub-structures which partly reflect their history and partly their operational needs, which may include a number of departments and other institutions. In addition, a small number of bodies entitled ‘Syndicates’ have responsibilities for teaching and research, e.g. Cambridge Assessment, the University Press, and the University Library.

Academic year

The academic year is divided into three terms, determined by the Statutes of the University. Michaelmas Term lasts from October to December; Lent Term from January to March; and Easter Term from April to June.

Within these terms undergraduate teaching takes place within eight-week periods called Full Terms. These terms are shorter than those of many other British universities. Undergraduates are also expected to prepare heavily in the three holidays (known as the Christmas, Easter and Long Vacations).

Student life

Sports

Cambridge maintains a long tradition of student participation in sport and recreation. Rowing is a particularly popular sport at Cambridge, and there are competitions between colleges, notably the bumps races, and against Oxford, the Boat Race. There are also Varsity matches against Oxford in many other sports, ranging from cricket and rugby, to chess and tiddlywinks. Athletes representing the university in certain sports entitle them to apply for a Cambridge Blue at the discretion of the Blues Committee, consisting of the captains of the thirteen most prestigious sports.

3 стр., 1446 слов

На английском языке с переводом про университет

… программах по обмену студентами. Он также участвует в различных научных исследованиях, разработках и международных конференциях. My University Сочинение на тему «Мой университет» на английском языке с переводом на русский язык My University Мой университет Education is …

Перевод

Кембриджский университет

Кембриджский университет (неофициально Кембридж) является государственным университетом исследования расположенного в Кембридже, Великобритания. Он является вторым старейшим университетом Англии и седьмым старейшим университетом в мире. В пост-номиналах название университета называется сокращенно Кантаб, сокращенная форма от Cantabrigiensis.

Университет создан ассоциацей ученых в городе Кембридж, который былсоздан в 1209 (как говорят ранние записи) году, учеными Оксфордского университета, которые ушли из него после спора с горожанами. Два «древних университетов» имеют много общих черт и часто совместно именуемые Oxbridge. В дополнение культурным и практическим объединением, исторической части британского общества, два университета имеют давнюю историю соперничества друг с другом.

В учебе, Кембридж считается одним из лучших университетов мира, а также ведущим университетом в Европе, и занимает, с Оксфордским первое место в Великобритании. Филиалы университета выиграли больше Нобелевских премий, чем любой другой институт в мире — 88 лауреатов Нобелевской премии по состоянию на 4 октября 2010 года — последней из которых Роберт Дж. Эдвардс — премия по физиологии и медицине. Университет является членом RussellGroup исследований под руководством британских университетов, CoimbraGroup Лиги европейских исследовательских университетов и Международный альянс исследовательских университетов. Он является частью «Золотого треугольника» британских университетов.

История

Статус Кембриджа был установлен уставом в 1231 году королём Генрихом III из Англии, который получил IUS, право на дисциплину своих членов, а также некоторое освобождение от налогов, и быка в 1233 году от папы Григория IX, который дал выпускникам Кембриджа право преподавать повсюду в христианском мире.

Организация

Кембридж является коллегиальным университетом, означает, что он состоит из самоуправляющихся и независимых колледжей, каждый со своим собственным имуществом и доходами.

Факультеты несут ответственность за обеспечение того, чтобы читались лекции, организовывались семинары, проводились исследования и определения учебных программ для обучения, под контролем Генерального совета.Такие объекты, как библиотеки предоставляются на всех этих уровнях: от университета (CambridgeUniversityLibrary), в отделы (ведомственных библиотек, таких как Сквайр Юридическая библиотека), и отдельных колледжей .

Колледжи

Все студенты и многие из ученых приезжают в колледжи, где они общаются. Это место, где студенты объединяются в малые группы для учение сессии. Каждый колледж назначает свой персонал и обучение стипендиатов по каждому предмету, решает, какие студенты будут признаны, в соответствии с университетскими правилами; обеспечивает небольшой группе обучения сессий для студентов, а также несет ответственность за внутренние механизмы и благосостояние своих собственных студентов, выпускников, после защиты докторской исследователей, и сотрудников в целом.

Кембриджский университет в настоящее время имеет 31 колледжей, из которых три, Мюррей Эдвардс, Ньюнхем и Люси Кавендиш, допускают только женщины. Другие колледжи смешаны, хотя большинство из них изначально для мужчин. Дарвин был первый колледж в котором учились мужчины и женщины, в то время Черчилль, Клэр были первымимужскими колледжами, но признали женщин студентов в 1972 году. Магдалина был последний мужской колледж, и стал смешанным в 1988 году. В Клэр Холл и Дарвин допускаются только аспиранты, и Хьюз Холл, Люси Кавендиш, Санкт Эдмунд и Вулфсон признают onlymature (т.е. от 21 лет и старше) студентов, в том числе аспирантов. Все другие колледжи без возрастных ограничений. Колледжи не обязаны принимать студентов по всем предметам, в некоторых колледжах не предлагают таких предметов, как архитектура, история искусств и теологии, но большинство предлагают почти полный ассортимент. Некоторые колледжи сохранили склонность к определенным предметам, например, с Черчиллем склоняется к наукам и технике, в то время как другие, такие как Санкт-Катарина сбалансированы. Цены для студентов (проживание и цены на продукты питания) значительно отличаются от колледжа в колледже.Есть также несколько богословских колледжей в Кембридже, в том числе Уэсткотт Дом, Вестминстерский колледж и Ридли зале теологического колледжа, которые входят в состав университета и являются членами Кембридж Духовной Федерации.

1 стр., 366 слов

«Студентом года-2016» стала душанбинка, написавшая лучшее о Лидере нации

… конкурса, финалисты в первом туре написали сочинение на тему «Молодежь — последователи Лидера нации и защитники достижения независимости». Во втором туре студенты с использованием современных технологий рассказали о … с именем Эмомали Рахмона. В феврале 2016 года комитет по делам молодежи, спорта и туризма объявил конкурс на лучшее произведение о президенте Эмомали Рахмоне. Тогда на сайте комитета …

Преподавание

Основным методом обучения в колледжах Кембридж — надзор. Это, как правило, еженедельно часовые сеансы, в которых небольшие группы студентов — как правило, от одного до трех — встречаются с членами профессорско-преподавательского состава университета или деконата. Студенты, как правило, необходимо для завершения эссе или назначения до надзора, которые они будут обсуждать с руководителем в ходе сессии, а также любые проблемы или трудности, которые они имели с материалами, представленный на этой лекции. Лекции в Кембридже часто описывается как почти простое «на болтах» на этих наблюдений. Студенты получают от одного до трех наблюдений в неделю, в зависимости от их предмета. Это педагогическая система часто упоминается как уникальный в Кембридже и Оксфорде (где «наблюдений», также известно как «учебники»)

Концепция классификации работы студентов количественно была разработана Репетитором по имени Уильям Фариш в Кембриджском университете в 1792 году.

Школы, факультеты и кафедры

В дополнение к 31 колледжей, университетов состоит из более 150 кафедр, факультетов, школ, синдикатов и других учреждений. Члены этих, как правило, также являются членами одной или нескольких колледжей и ответственность за управление всей академической программы университета делится между ними.

«Школа» в Кембриджский университет является широкой административной группировки связанных факультетов и других подразделений. Каждый имеет избранный наблюдательный орган — «Совет» из школы — в составе представителей конституционных органов. Есть шесть школ:

§ Искусство и гуманитарных наук

§ Биологических наук

§ Медицина

11 стр., 5301 слов

Взаимосвязь философии и науки

… взаимодействие, междисциплинарное взаимодействие отраслей научного знания. В этой связи развитие науки делится на 2 этапа. Первый этап развития — это собирательная наука в системе философского знания , начинается с древности и … особый тип человеческого сознания [13]. Глава 2. Философия в научном познании 2.1Понятие философии Слово философия происходит от греческого filosofia, которое в свою очередь …

§ Гуманитарных и социальных наук

§ Физических наук

§ Технологии

Преподавание и исследования в Кембриджском организована факультетами. Факультеты различных организационных подструктур, которые частично отражают их истории и частично их оперативных потребностей, которые могут включать ряд департаментов и других учреждений. Кроме того, небольшое число органов несут ответственность за обучение и исследования, например, UniversityPress, и университетская библиотека.

Учебный год

Учебный год разделен на три условия, определяемые в соответствии с Уставом университета. Осенний триместр длится с октября по декабрь; поста срок с января по март, и Пасха срок с апреля по июнь.

В этих условиях обучения студентов происходит в течение восьми. Эти периоды короче, чем у многих других британских университетах. Студенты также должны подготовиться к трем праздникам (известная как Рождество, Пасха и Лонг каникулы).

100 слов

Accordance – Соответствии

Addition – Кроме того

Advance– Заранее

affiliated — Дочерний

Aimed– Направленные

Along– по

Amongst– среди

Apply– применять

Appoints – Назначает

Arranged – Организованы

Arrangements–Механизмы

Assignment — Назначение

Attempt — Попытка

Awarded–Награждён

Between–Между

being — Время

Bias–Смещение

bodies — Органов

Both – как

Bring – принести

bump — удар

certain – Определенных

cited– Цитируется

competitions — конкурсы

comprising — содержащий

considerably –Значительно

consisting — состоящий

constituent — Составной

Decides–Решает

depending – В зависимости

Derived–Производный

determined — Определяется

Different–Различных

Discretion — усмотрение

Divided — разделить

Domestic – Внутренних

During – Во время

Elected — Избранных

Entire– Всего

entitle — Право

Entitled — Озаглавленный

essay — Эссе

exemption – Освобождение

Fellows – Стипендиатов

Grew – Выросла

hour-long–часовую

include — Включают

income– Доходы

Intake– Потребление

Leaning– опираясь

Mainly – Главным образом

maintain — Поддерживать

mature — Зрелые

meaning – Смысл

mere — Простой

minimise– Минимизировать

need– Необходимость

notably – в частности

offer– Предложение

Operational — Оперативный

organised– Организованной

Participation–Участие

Prestigious – престижных

Principal–Основной

property –собственности

quantitatively — Количественно

range– Диапазон

ranging — начиная

recreation –Отдых

representing–представляющих

rowing — гребля

Responsible – ответственность

Required – требуется

Restrictions– ограничения

Several– несколько

sub-structures – Под-структура

11 стр., 5162 слов

» Административная ответственность»

… ответственность; Охарактеризовать меры административной ответственности и виды административных взысканий. В дальнейшем считаю, что данная работа может быть использована студентами вузов при изучении административной ответственности, написании рефератов и курсовых работ … в соответствии с ним принимают субъекты Российской федерации, в то время, как уголовная ответственность устанавливается только …

Supervisions– Наблюдение

Towards – к, в направлении, по отношению к

Theology — Богословие

Townsfolk – Горожане

tutor — Репетитор

rivalry – Соперничество

representatives– Представителей

shorter — Короткий

Staff – Персонал

Such – Таких

Units — единиц

Upon — на

Undergraduates – Студенты

Welfare–благосостояния

While — в то время как

within — внутренняя сторона, в, внутри

Кембридж
является одним из двух главных
университетов Англии, расположенный
на реке Кам. Он был основан в начале
12-го века. Университет состоит из 24
различных колледжей, включая 4 колледжей
для женщин. Каждый колледж самоуправляется.

Главой
университета является Ректор (канцлер),
который избирается пожизненно. Учителей
обычно называются «Преподавателями»
и «руководителями группы студентов
(наставник)». Часть преподавания
осуществляется посредством лекций,
организованных Университетом. Помимо
лекций обучение осуществляется учебной
системой, которой Кембриджский университет
известен во всем мире. Это система
индивидуального обучения, организованного
в колледжах.

Каждый
студент имеет наставника, который
практически проведет его через весь
курс обучения. Руководитель планирует
работу студента и один раз в неделю,
студент идет к своему наставнику для
обсуждения его работы с ним. Курс обучения
длится 4 года. Учебный год делится на 3
семестра. Студенты изучают естественные
и технические науки, право (закон),
историю, языки, географию и многие другие
темы.

После
трех лет обучения студент может получить
ученую степень (степень Бакалавра), а
позднее степени магистра и доктора.
Студенты обязаны носить мантии на
лекциях, в библиотеке университета, на
улице в вечернее время, на ужине в
колледжах и для официальных визитов.
Все студенты должны платить за их
образование, экзамены, книги, лаборатории,
общежития университета, использование
библиотек и т.д. Очень мало студентов
получают стипендии. Не многие дети из
семей рабочего класса имеют возможность
получить высшее образование, так как
стоимость высока. Стоимость обучения
зависит от колледжа и специальности.

Ряд
великих людей, известных ученых и
писателей учились в Кембридже. Среди
них: Эрасмус, великий голландский ученый,
Бакон/Бэкон(Bacon),
философ, Милтон и Байрон, поэты, Кромвель,
солдат, Ньютон и Дарвин, ученые.

Cambridge
is one of the two main universities of England. It was founded at the
beginning of the 12-th century. The University consists of 24
different colleges including 4 colleges for women.

The
head of the University is the chancelor who is elected for life. Part
of the teaching is by means of lectures organized by the University.
Besides lectures teaching is carried out by tutorial system for which
the Cambridge University is famous all over the world (Part
of the teaching is by means of lectures organized by the University
and tutorial system for which the Cambridge University is famous all
over the world).

Each
student has a tutor who practically guides him through the whole
course of studies. The tutor plans the
student’s work and once a week the student goes to his tutor to
discuss his work with him (Tutor
plans work of the student, and once a week they discuss the work with
the student). The training course
lasts 4 years. The academic year is divided into 3 terms. The
students study natural and technical sciences (law,
history, languages, geography and many other subjects).

After
three years of study a student may proceed to a Bachelor’s degree,
and later to the degrees of Master and Doctor. Students
are required to wear gowns at lectures, in the University library, in
the street in the evening, for dinners in the colleges and for
official visit (Students are
required to wear gowns).
All the students must pay for their education (examinations,
books, laboratories, university hostel, the use of libraries, etc).
Very few students get grants. The cost of education depends on the
college and speciality.

A
number of great men, well-known scientists and writers studied at
Cambridge. Among them are: Erasmus, the great Dutch scholar, Bacon,
the philosopher, Milton and Byron, the poets, Cromwell, the soldier,
Newton and Darwin, the scientists.

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University of Cambridge

Latin: Universitas Cantabrigiensis
Motto	Hinc lucem et pocula sacra (Latin)
Motto in English	Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts Non-literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge
Type	Public research university
Established	c. 1209
Endowment	£6.441 billion (including colleges) (as of 31 July 2018) [3]
Budget	£1.965 billion (excluding colleges) [4]
Chancellor	The Lord Sainsbury of Turville
Vice-Chancellor	Stephen Toope[5]
Academic staff	7,913[6]
Administrative staff	3,615[6]
Students	19,955 (2016/17)[7]
Undergraduates	12,340 (2016/17)[7]
Postgraduates	7,610 (2016/17)[7]
Location	Cambridge , England, United Kingdom
Campus	University town 288 hectares (710 acres)[8]
Colours	Cambridge Blue[9]
Athletics	The Sporting Blue
Affiliations	Russell Group EUA G5 universities Golden triangle LERU IARU
Website	cam.ac.uk

The University of Cambridge (also called Cambridge University) is in Cambridge, England. It is the second-oldest university in all English-speaking countries. It is one of the world’s leading places of learning.

The University started as a group of scholars in the city of Cambridge. This may have started in 1209, when scholars left Oxford after a fight with local people.^[10] The universities of Oxford and Cambridge are often called Oxbridge. This is not a different university. It is a way of saying Oxford and Cambridge together. Cambridge University and Oxford University are both very important to the history of England.

Cambridge is usually ranked in the world’s top five universities.^[11][12] UK rankings and tests on the quality of its research also rate it very highly. Cambridge has more than 18,000 students and many sport clubs and societies.

Many important people studied at the University of Cambridge, including scientists, poets, artists, politicians and members of the British Royal Family. 121 former students and staff from Cambridge later won a Nobel Prize.^[13]

History[change | change source]

The official creation of the University was in 1231, when King Henry III of England gave people the right to teach students and lower taxes. A letter from Pope Gregory IX in 1233 also gave the right to everyone who got a degree from Cambridge to teach in any place in the Christian world.^[14]

In 1290, Pope Nicholas IV called Cambridge a studium generale (name for a university in Medieval times). From that point many researchers and teachers from other European universities started to come to Cambridge to work or give lessons.^[15]

Building the colleges[change | change source]

Colleges started as places for students and teachers to live. They were called hostels at first. The students paid money to build and run these hostels. All colleges were formed after the beginning of the University. Over the years, colleges bought all of these hostels back. However, some old names still resist today, such as Garret Hostel Lane which was named after Garret Hostel.^[16]

Peterhouse was the first official college to be created in 1284. Many followed over the centuries and today there are 31. The last one, Robinson, was built in the 1970s. Many of these have a chapel because the members should have prayed for the soul of the founders (the people who created the college).

The role of the University in the Protestant Reformation[change | change source]

The University was one of the most important places where the Protestant Reformation began. The Protestant Reformation was a movement in Europe where people started disagreeing with certain teachings of the Catholic Church In fact, people started talking about Lutheranism — a type of Protestantism — very early in Cambridge. Thomas Cranmer, who became a central figure for reform, studied at Cambridge.

A century later, some people in Cambridge started to think that the Church of England was still too much like the Catholic church. They started the Puritan movement. This produced more than 20,000 people who left for New England around 1620 in search for a place with better religious beliefs. Oliver Cromwell, a very important member of this movement, was a student at Sidney Sussex during this time.^[17]

Mathematics and Physics[change | change source]

Cambridge has been strong in applied mathematics since Isaac Newton was a student here in the 17th century. Every student had to study maths in order to obtain a degree. The degree was awarded as a Bachelor of Arts which mixed both arts and science subjects.^[18] Several important early physicists studied at Cambridge. They include James Clerk Maxwell, Lord Kelvin and Lord Rayleigh.^[19] Pure mathematics was slower to catch up, but Cambridge is still famous for it thanks to people like G.H. Hardy.

Six maths graduates from Cambridge won Fields Medals and one got an Abel Prize. These are the world’s highest awards for mathematicians. Four other researchers at Cambridge also won Fields Medals.^[20]

Important discoveries[change | change source]

People at the University of Cambridge have made many important scientific discoveries. These are some of the best known ones:

• Understanding the scientific method, by Francis Bacon
• The laws of motion and the development of calculus, by Sir Isaac Newton
• The development of thermodynamics, by Lord Kelvin
• The discovery of the electron, by J. J. Thomson
• The splitting of the atom, by Ernest Rutherford and of the nucleus by Sir John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton
• The unification of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell
• The discovery of hydrogen, by Henry Cavendish
• The theory of evolution by natural selection, by Charles Darwin
• A way of understanding natural selection with Mendelian genetics in a mathematical way, by Ronald Fisher
• The Turing machine, a basic model for computation, by Alan Turing
• The structure of DNA, by Francis Crick and James D. Watson
• The development of quantum mechanics, by Paul Dirac
• The development of string theory, by Michael Green

Women’s education[change | change source]

For many years only men were allowed to study at Cambridge. In 1869 Girton, the first college for women, was built. Women could take exams from 1882, but only in 1948 did they start to be considered full members of the university.^[21] For a certain time they even received ad eundem degrees (degrees from a University you have not studied at, but you deserve) from the University of Dublin.^[22]

Over the years, more women-only colleges were built, until in 1972 Churchill was the first one to become mixed. Many others followed, and in 1988 Magdalene was the last men-only college to open to women. However, there are still some colleges for women only. Cambridge is the only university that still has this characteristic. All other universities in the UK, including Oxford, now have only mixed colleges.^[23][24]

Myths, legends and traditions[change | change source]

Since it is very old, the University has many legends and traditions. These are often passed on by older students to the younger ones. Tour guides also tell these stories to tourists.

The wooden spoon tradition was to give this type of spoon to the student who was the worst in the year for mathematics but still passed the exams. This was because the students used to be ranked in order of their result. After 1909 this was changed and so the wooden spoon cannot be given anymore. However, still today in many sport competitions a wooden spoon is given to the last person in the rankings.^[25]

Many legends exist about places in Cambridge. For example, there is a story about the Mathematical Bridge in Queen’s College. Newton built it without using any bolts or screws. Some people then took it down to see how it was made. When they tried to put it up again they could not do it, so they had to insert many bolts.

Another tradition is that the King’s College choir sings the Nine Lessons and Carols church service. This is recorded by the BBC and sent around the world since 1928 by radio. From 1954 it can also be seen on television. Many people watch it on Christmas Eve in Great Britain.^[26][27]

Organisation[change | change source]

The University of Cambridge is a «collegiate» university. This means it is divided into the colleges, and every student and teacher joins one college only. Every one of these colleges has its own property and money. They all have many Fellows who can teach all the subjects between them. Then there are Departments and Faculties, which are buildings where only one subject is studied. There are also Schools that bring different Departments and Faculties together. The overall head of the University is called the Vice-Chancellor. They are head of the Senate and Regent House which make decisions for the whole University.

Colleges[change | change source]

There are 31 colleges in Cambridge:

There are also 3 smaller affiliated colleges: Westcott House, Westminster College and Ridley Hall. These are not part of Cambridge University, but students there can follow the University’s lessons. They are only for theology, the study of religion. These three colleges together form the Cambridge Theological Federation.^[29]

Teaching[change | change source]

The teaching is done through lectures and practical classes (where students do experiments in science subjects) organized by the Department. The colleges also organize supervisions. These are small lessons in groups of 1 to 4: the students do some homework and then talk about it with a teacher. This is often considered to be one of the best things about studying at Cambridge. The teaching is very personal and students have the chance to ask lots of questions and really understand the subject.^[30]

Schools, faculties and departments[change | change source]

There are more than 150 different faculties and departments in Cambridge. These are then grouped into «Schools». These have a supervisory body, a group of people who check that the departments are doing ok. There are six Schools:^[31]

• Arts and Humanities
• Biological Sciences
• Clinical Medicine
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• Technology

Academic year[change | change source]

The year is divided into three parts. The first one is Michaelmas Term, which is from October to December and takes its name from St Michael’s day and Christmas. The second one is Lent Term, and goes from January to March. The last one is Easter Term, from April to June.^[32] Within these times, there is a period of 8 weeks called Full Term. Most lessons and exams happen in Full Term. All students need to live in college for this period. There is a University rule which says that students can get their degree only if they have stayed for at least 9 terms (3 years) at a distance of less than 10 miles from the main Church in Cambridge.^[33]

Central administration[change | change source]

Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor[change | change source]

The head of the University is the Chancellor. As of 2013, he is David Sainsbury. He was elected in 2011 after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh said he did not want to do it anymore. Prince Philip had been Chancellor for 25 years. The position of Chancellor is mainly ceremonial. That means that the Chancellor does not take part in many decisions. He is just there because an overall head of the University is needed.^[34]

The Vice-Chancellor instead is the one that makes most decisions. For example, he/she approves and signs new rules. The role is given to a person for at least five years. The current Vice-Chancellor is Stephen J. Toope.^[35]

Senate and Regent House[change | change source]

The Senate House is a building in Cambridge. The degree ceremony takes place there. Any Cambridge student who has an MA degree is a member of the Senate.^[36] It is also the place where the important people in the University meet to take decisions. These important people are different Officers and Fellows of the colleges. They are also called the Regent House. This is not another building, it is just a way of calling these people. They can make and change rules when they meet.^[37] News and information are printed and given out in the Cambridge University Reporter. This is the official newspaper of the university.^[38]

Finances[change | change source]

The university had £7.1 billion in endowments in 2019. This money was given over lots of time by many people. This is the largest amount of money for any university in Europe.^[39] Every college controls its money on its own. They are all considered charitable organizations. The British Government also gives money in research grants: these are for postgraduate students and their teachers. There is also some income produced by the Cambridge University Press.^[40]

In 2000, Cambridge received a very large donation of US$210 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This was to set up a scholarship so that US and other international students could study in Cambridge more easily. Bill Gates was also made a Knight by the Queen because of his generosity.^[41] Between 2005 and 2012, a campaign was made to get £1 billion from old students. This was at the same time of the University’s 800th anniversary. The campaign got to the target early in 2010.^[42]

Location[change | change source]

Sites[change | change source]

The University is spread around the town of Cambridge. The older colleges are on the river Cam. The departments and faculties are spread in different places, usually grouped in sites. There are nine main sites:^[43]

Addenbrooke’s Hospital is where the medicine students go to learn how to cure patients. The Judge Business School is another important building: this is where courses about business and finance are taught. Since the different sites are quite close to each other, many students like to use bicycles to move around. A fifth of the journeys in the town is made by bike. Students are also not allowed to drive a car while they are in Cambridge.^[44]

Town and Gown[change | change source]

Local people from Cambridge don’t always like the students. «Town and Gown» is a phrase to talk about this relationship. «Town» means the Cambridge locals while «Gown» means the students and teachers, from the type of dress they wear. Since the University began, there have been some fights between the two groups. In 1381, many things were stolen from the university and the colleges. The Chancellor was then given extra power to control order in the town. When the plague arrived in Cambridge in 1630, many colleges closed up. They did not want to help the locals who had the disease.^[45]

However, more recently there have been fewer fights. The University also means more jobs and money for the population. There are many small industries that were created in Cambridge because the University was near. This effect is called The Cambridge Phenomenon. Between 1960-2010 there have been 1,500 new companies and 40,000 new jobs in Cambridge just thanks to the University.^[46]

Libraries and Museums[change | change source]

The University has 114 libraries. The main one is called Cambridge University Library. It is a legal deposit, which means every book that is printed in the United Kingdom goes in this library.^[47] Many departments have their own library as well. They usually have special books for their subjects only. All colleges have a library. This is mainly for the undergraduates, so that they can read basic books about their subjects. Some colleges also have very precious books and manuscripts. For example, the Parker Library (Corpus Christi College) has special books from Medieval times.^[48]

The university also has 8 museums and a botanical garden:^[49]

• Fitzwilliam Museum for art
• Kettle’s Yard for contemporary art
• Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge for archaeological objects
• Cambridge University Museum of Zoology for the study of animals
• Museum of Classical Archaeology
• Whipple Museum of the History of Science
• Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences for geology
• Scott Polar Research Institute that has a museum for the Arctic and Antarctic
• Cambridge University Botanic Garden that was created in 1831

University life[change | change source]

Research[change | change source]

One of the main aims of the University of Cambridge is to do scientific research. All the departments are always studying and discovering new things.^[50] Many important people have done research in Cambridge. This is because the university has a lot of money and resources like laboratories and books.^[51] It had £283.7 M in 2011 to spend on research; this was mainly given by the UK Government and the European Commission.^[52]

Admission[change | change source]

Students need to pass some tests and interviews to be allowed in Cambridge. For undergraduates, the application is done through UCAS. This is as with any other university in the UK. Students need to be very good to enter Cambridge. If they study A-levels, they are asked to get at least A*AA.^[53] Because many good students apply, the interview is very important to choose the best ones. These are done by Fellows.^[54] Usually about 25% of the applicants get a place. However, the number changes depending on the subjects. Some of them, like medicine and economics are very hard to get into.^[55] Students need to choose a college before doing the application. They may later have to change it if the college thinks they are good but does not have enough places for them.

For postgraduates the application is different. They need to ask professors (teachers) in the departments they want to work in. After an interview, they can be given a place. They then have to get some funding (money to do the project). This can be given from a government or another institution.^[56]

Access[change | change source]

Some people think that admission at Cambridge is not very fair. This is because it is easier to get in if you go to a private school instead of a state school. In 2007-2008, only 57% of students who got a place were coming from state school. However, about 93% of British children go to them.^[57] If a student goes to a private school, he/she is also more likely to get a place after the interview. In 2011, only 25% of students that applied from state school got a place, while the percentage was 33% for private school students.^[55] The University is trying to make things better by making the admission process easier and giving scholarships for the poorer students. Another problem is that year after year there are also fewer people from state schools applying.^[58]

Reputation and rankings[change | change source]

Cambridge does very well when the quality of research is tested. In 2001, it was ranked first in the British Government Assessment Exercise.^[59] Cambridge also gives out more PhDs in a year than any other UK university.^[60]

The following table has Cambridge results over the years in various College and university rankings.

Year	THES — QS World University Rankings (World)	Academic Ranking of World Universities (World)	The Times Good University Guide (UK)	Guardian University Guide (UK)	Sunday Times University Guide (UK)	Independent The Complete University Guide (UK)	Daily Telegraph (UK)
2013			2[61]	1[62]		1
2012	2[12]	5[11]	2[63]	1[64][65]	1	1
2011	1[12]	5[11]	2[66]	2		2
2010	1[12]	5[11]	2[67]	2[68]		2[69]
2009	2[12]	4[11]	2[70]	2		2[71]
2008	3[12]	4[11]	2	2[72]	1	1[73]
2007	2[12]	4[11]	2[74]		1		1[75]
2006	2[12]	2[11]	2[76]	1[77]	1[78]
2005	3[12]	2[11]	2[79]	2[80]	1[78]
2004		3[11]	2[81]	1	1
2003		5[11]	2[82]	1	1		1
2002			1[83]	1[84]	1[85]		1[84]
2001			1		1[85]
2000			1		1[85]
1999			1		1[85]
1998			1		1[85]

The colleges also have a ranking between them. This is called the Tompkins Table. It is published every year by The Independent newspaper. Trinity College and Emmanuel College usually do very well in it.^[86]

Public examinations[change | change source]

The University also runs many public examinations. This can be for people who want to take language tests in English for example. Some of the A-level and GCSEs exams are also written and organized here.^[87]

Associations[change | change source]

The University of Cambridge is a member of

• the Russell Group, a network of research-led British universities;
• the Coimbra Group, an association of leading European universities;
• the League of European Research Universities;
• the International Alliance of Research Universities.

It is also considered part of the «Golden Triangle», a geographical concentration of UK university research.

Student life[change | change source]

Students’ Union, JCR and MCR[change | change source]

The Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU) represents all the students within the University. All new students become members when they arrive in Cambridge.^[88] It was started in 1964 as the Students’ Representative Council (SRC). There are six important positions in the Union which are taken by students who take a year off work. These people have meetings with the Vice-Chancellor and other university officers to talk about new rules or how to change them.^[89]

Inside the colleges, there are also group of students who represent all of the others. These are called JCR (Junior Common Room) for undergraduates and MCR (Middle Common Room) for postgraduates. They organize things like Fresher’s Week, the first week in October when new first-year students arrive. They also make sure every student is happy about his life in Cambridge.^[90]

Sport[change | change source]

Sport has always been very important in Cambridge. Many students try rowing because the Cam river is a good one to play this sport. There are many boat races between the different colleges. These are called bumps: because the river is too small, boats start one behind the other. To win, a boat needs to hit (or «bump») the one ahead.^[91] Every year in London there is also the famous Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge. Many other sports are played between colleges and universities.

Places to do sports, like gyms and fields, are run by the single colleges. A new University-wide sports complex is being built.^[92]

Societies[change | change source]

Cambridge is also full of societies: these are small groups of people that meet together to do something that they like. These can be speaking a language, playing chess, acting in theatres, playing a musical instrument. In 2010, there were 751 societies.^[93] There can also be smaller clubs in the colleges.

Newspapers and radio[change | change source]

There are three student newspapers, that tell things that happen around the university. Varsity, created in 1947, is the oldest one.^[94] The Cambridge Student and The Tab are newer ones; The Tab has funny articles and is less serious.^[95] There is also a radio station called Cam FM. This is run with help from Anglia Ruskin University, which is another university in Cambridge.^[96]

Formal Halls and May Balls[change | change source]

Formal Halls are special dinners where students and Fellows eat together. Everyone wears a suit and there is good food. There is a prayer in Latin at the beginning and at the end. These dinners are a tradition and the idea is that people in the college should get to know each other at them.^[97] After the exams, there is May Week when students make parties. A May Ball happens in every college: it lasts all night and there is lots of music and food.

Important students[change | change source]

Many people who later became very famous in their subject studied at Cambridge. 89 people linked with Cambridge have won a Nobel Prize. This includes 29 prizes in physics, 26 in medicine, 21 in chemistry and 9 in economics.^[13] People from Cambridge have also done great things in the arts and sports.

Mathematics and sciences[change | change source]

Cambridge has a very strong tradition in this field. Students include Isaac Newton, who made lots of experiments in Trinity College. Francis Bacon developed the Scientific method which is the starting point of today’s science. G. H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan did a lot in pure mathematics. James Clerk Maxwell found out more about electromagnetism. In biology, Charles Darwin made his theory about natural selection while Francis Crick and James D. Watson discovered the structure of DNA. Also David Attenborough, who is now a television presenter, was a science student at Cambridge.

In nuclear physics, the discoveries of Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr, J. J. Thomson and James Chadwick made people really understand what is inside an atom: electrons, protons and neutrons. J. Robert Oppenheimer studied here and later went on to develop the atomic bomb. In astronomy, Paul Dirac, Stephen Hawking, John Herschel and Georges Lemaître found out many things about the universe, from the Big Bang to black holes.

Humanities, music and art[change | change source]

Desiderius Erasmus was really important for starting studies about Greek and Latin at the University. In economics, John Maynard Keynes, Thomas Robert Malthus and Milton Friedman all started their theories in Cambridge. Known philosophers are Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, George Santayana, Karl Popper and Muhammad Iqbal. Many Archbishops of Canterbury also studied at Cambridge, like Rowan Williams. William Wilberforce helped to stop the slave trade. Thomas Cranmer was an Archbishop who was then killed because of his ideas.

In music, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Villiers Stanford, William Sterndale Bennett, Orlando Gibbons and more recently John Rutter all started their education at Cambridge. Some members of the band Radiohead were also here. In the arts, Quentin Blake was an undergraduate here.

Literature[change | change source]

Students in this field include Christopher Marlowe, writer of many tragedies; Samuel Pepys, after who the library in Magdalene College is called; William Makepeace Thackeray, famous for his satire; E. M. Forster, a more contemporary author and C. S. Lewis, fantasy writer. Virginia Woolf did not study here but based her books around the colleges. Poets include Edmund Spenser, John Donne, John Milton, John Dryden, Lord Byron and Samuel Taylor Coleridge who started the Romantic movement.

Known actors and directors are Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Michael Redgrave, James Mason, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Tilda Swinton, Thandie Newton, Rachel Weisz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Tom Hiddleston all studied at the university.

Sports[change | change source]

More than 50 people who won medals at the Olympic Games had studied in Cambridge,^[98] as George Mallory did, who might have been the first to reach the top of mount Everest.

Politics[change | change source]

Finally, Cambridge is also strong in politics because it educated:^[99]

• 15 British Prime Ministers, including Robert Walpole, thought to be the first Prime Minister of Great Britain.
• At least 23 foreign Heads of Government, including the Prime Ministers of India, Singapore and Jordan.
• At least 9 monarchs, HRH Charles, Prince of Wales and a large number of other royals.
• 3 people who signed of the United States Declaration of Independence.^[100]
• Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England (1653–58).

Cambridge in books and popular culture[change | change source]

Due to its long history, the University has been named in many books and works by different authors.

• In Pride and Prejudice, some of the main characters studied at Cambridge
• In Gulliver’s Travels, the narrator starts from Emmanuel College
• In A Tale of Two Cities, one of the characters is a professor in Cambridge
• Sherlock Holmes has been an undergraduate at this University
• Porterhouse Blue and Grantchester Grind are funny books about life in Cambridge as a student

References[change | change source]

Bibliography[change | change source]

• Leedham-Green, Elisabeth (1996). A concise history of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-43978-7.
• Leader, Damien (1988–2004). A history of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-32882-1.
• Stubbings, Frank (1995). Bedders, bulldogs and bedells: a Cambridge glossary. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-47978-3.
• Smith, J.; Stray, C. (2001). Teaching and Learning in 19th century Cambridge. Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-783-2.
• Willis, Robert (1988). John Willis Clark (ed.). The Architectural History of the University of Cambridge and of the Colleges of Cambridge and Eton. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-35851-4.
• Deacon, Richard (1985). The Cambridge Apostles: A History of Cambridge University’s Elite Intellectual Secret Society. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-947728-13-7.
• Garrett, Martin (2004), ‘Cambridge: a Cultural and Literary History’, Signal Books. ISBN 1-902669-79-7.
• A history of the University of Cambridge, by Christopher N.L. Brooke, Cambridge University Press, 4 volumes, 1988–2004, ISBN 0-521-32882-9, ISBN 0-521-35059-X, ISBN 0-521-35060-3, ISBN 0-521-34350-X.
• Webb, Grayden (2005). The History of the University of Cambridge and Education in England. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-32882-9.
• A Concise and Accurate Description of the University, Town and County of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 2009 [1790]. ISBN 978-1-108-00065-9.
• Taylor, Kevin (1994). Central Cambridge: A Guide to the University and Colleges. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-45913-6.

Other websites[change | change source]

• University of Cambridge official website
• Cambridge University Students’ Union
• Cambridge University Graduate Union
• Postdocs of Cambridge Archived 2008-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
• Varsity – a student newspaper
• The Cambridge Student (TCS) Archived 2005-10-01 at the Wayback Machine – a student newspaper

Images and maps links[change | change source]

• Aerial view – from Google Maps
• Interactive map – a map showing all of the University departments and colleges. The map can zoom in on each place.

v t e Colleges of the University of Cambridge
Christ’s • Churchill • Clare • Clare Hall • Corpus Christi • Darwin • Downing • Emmanuel • Fitzwilliam • Girton • Gonville and Caius • Homerton • Huges Hall • Jesus • King’s • Lucy Cavendish • Magdalene • Murray Edwards • Newnham • Pembroke • Peterhouse • Queens’ • Robinson • St Catharine’s • St Edmund’s • St John’s • Selwyn • Sidney Sussex • Trinity • Trinity Hall • Wolfson