Backpackers Guide to London
Oxford and Cambridge
Backpackers' Guide to London's Tourist Information | Backpackers' Guide to London Tourist Attractions | Backpackers' Guide to London's Historical Attractions | Backpackers' Guide to Shopping in London | Backpackers' Guide to Sport in London | Backpackers' Guide to Entertainment in London | Backpackers' Guide to Food in London | Backpackers' Guide to London Museums Oxford and Cambridge are some of the most respected universities in the world, with a fine tradition of scholarship, and a reputation for exacting standards. Oxford is the oldest English-speaking university in the world, and has been open for almost 9 centuries. Some form of teaching existed by 1096, but the university experienced a rapid stage of development in 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. Oxford’s first overseas student was Emo of Friesland, who enrolled in 1190. This began the University's tradition of international scholarly links. By 1201, the University was headed by a magister scolarum Oxonie, on whom the title of Chancellor was conferred in 1214, and in 1231 the masters were recognized as a universitas or corporation. In 1355, Edward III paid tribute to the University for its invaluable contribution to learning; and the role its alumni played in the development of society. The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. It has a long history of competing with Oxford (what has become known as the Oxbridge rivalry), primarily because of the constant comparison of the two as the most elite and prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The University of Cambridge sets very high standards of academic excellence, and its distinguish alumni are proof of the kind of training this school provides. Affiliates of Cambridge University have won a total of 81 Nobel Prizes, more than any other university in the world. Among these winners, 70 had attended Cambridge as undergraduates or graduate students, rather than as research associates, fellows, or professors. Cambridge University also ranks highest in league tables of British universities. Cambridge also has the highest endowment of any European university, with 2005 estimates hitting £2.7 billion to £3.1 billion (estimates of Oxford's endowment ranged from around £2.4bn to £2.9bn in 2005). A great part of its income comes from funding by the UK government.
Introduction
Oxford University
Cambridge University
Ashlee House, 261-265 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8QT, England
Tel: +44 (0)20 7833 9400 Fax: +44 (0)20 7833 9677
