Highly prized for its teaching excellence and research, University of Cambridge, UK is routinely ranked among the top five of the worlds best varsities. In the the-QS world university rankings 2009 it was ranked second, behind Harvard The second oldest (after Oxford) university of the English speaking world, over the past 800 years, the University of Cambridge (estb. 1209), has built — and perhaps more important, maintained — its reputation as one of the worlds most respected and admired institutions of undergrad and higher education. Highly prized for its teaching excellence and research, Cambridge University is routinely ranked among the top five in the league tables of the worlds best varsities. For instance, in the 2009 Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, Cambridge was ranked second, behind Harvard. In the 2008 Academic Ranking of World Universities compiled by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, Cambridge was ranked fourth. Founded in 1209 by a group of scholars who shook the dust of Oxford University from their feet after a dispute with the townsfolk, Cambridge nevertheless has many commonalities with its parent varsity and the two are commonly referred to as Oxbridge universities. Like Oxford, Cambridge is also a collegiate university comprising 31 autonomous colleges, 29 of whom admit under-graduate students. Under the common Oxbridge schema, each college is an independent institution with its own property and income. The colleges also appoint their own staff and are responsible for selecting students for admission, within the framework of university regulations. The onus of teaching all students is shared between the colleges and over 150 university departments, faculties and schools with all the colleges under the Cambridge umbrella awarding degrees of Cambridge University. Currently the university has an aggregate enrolment of 18,396 students and 8,614 faculty and staff. While most of Cambridge Us 31 colleges admit a variety of students, there are some exceptions: Newnham, Murray Edwards and Lucy Cavendish are women-only colleges, while Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish, St. Edmunds and Wolfson bar students aged less than 21. The colleges provide essentially the same range of facilities to students: board, lodging, pastoral care and tuition under the unique Oxbridge tutorial system. Moreover each college maintains its own library, sports grounds and recreation facilities. The secret of Cambridge’s great teaching strength is to be found in the partnership between the colleges and the university: a combination which provides superb facilities, contact with the very best minds, and the personal support to help you make the most of them. You will have an unparalleled chance to develop your academic interests, and explore plentiful opportunities for sports, drama, political and social activities, says Alison Richard, who was vice chancellor of the university until last month. (Sir Leszek Borysiewicz took charge as VC on October 1) Cambridge. Fifty minutes north of London by rail, Cambridge (pop.22,000) is a university town with students accounting for a fifth of its population. The placid River Cam flows through with the appellation Cambridge derived from the river. A compact town, Cambridge offers…
