Sited on a 670-acre campus in Lexington in the southern state of Kentucky, University of Kentucky is a highly reputed public research institution and is ranked among the top 150 universities of America Founded in 1865, University of Kentucky (UK) is a publicly-funded higher education institution with an excellent record of providing contemporary tertiary education and research facilities, particularly in the sciences, engineering, pharmacy and medicine. Sited on a 670-acre campus in Lexington in the southern state of Kentucky (pop. 4.3 million), the eponymous university is the states most highly ranked public research institution as well as the largest in terms of student enrolment (27,171). While the US News & World Report in its 2011 league table of Americas Best Colleges rates UK 129 nationwide, several of its study programmes including anatomy, clinical psychology, pharmacy, geography, surgery, physiology, molecular and cellular biochemistry, and nursing have been ranked among the top 20 academic programmes by several national publications and organisations. The university’s 16 colleges and a graduate school offer over 93 undergraduate, 99 Masters, 66 doctoral, and four professional programmes. In 1997, the Kentucky General Assembly signed a compact with UK to transform it into a Top 20 public research university in the US by the year 2020. As part of the Top 20 plan, the university intends to increase enrolment by 7,000 to 34,000 students and augment academic improvement and research expenditure by $470 million (Rs.2,115 crore) to $768 million (Rs.3,456 crore) per year. To finance this plan, in the millennium year (2000) UK launched an aggressive fundraising campaign. By 2006 it raised $600 million (Rs.2,700 crore) which has been used to enhance facilities, academic programmes, public service, and scholarships. “Since our inception in 1865, the states flagship university has carried the Commonwealth of Kentuckys hopes and dreams. It has served as Kentuckys hub for education and opportunity, delivering new ideas and innovation to every corner of the state. Today, the UK family is united like never before. Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends are committed to changing the Commonwealth by helping UK become one of the nations Top 20 public research universities”, says Dr. Lee T. Todd, vice chancellor of the university. Lexington. Located in the centre of Kentucky states Bluegrass region, Lexington (pop. 282,000) with its lush pastures and thoroughbred horse farms is popularly known as the equine epicentre of the US. It hosts two historic horse racing tracks — Keene Land, one of the most picturesque race courses worldwide as well as a prestigious auction house for thoroughbreds, and Red Mile Harness Track, the oldest race course in Lexington and the second oldest in the US. A 1,200-acre Kentucky Horse Park was inaugurated in 1978 and serves as a working horses nursery and an educational theme park. Its equine farms apart, Lexington also hosts three distilleries producing bourbon, the only native American liquor. Lexington also has a rich historical and cultural heritage and hosts landmarks such as Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate; Lexington Public Library; Lexington…
