3. The ‘ancient’ universities
Oxford University
1167
Cambridge University
1209
St Andrews University
1413
Glasgow University
1451
Aberdeen University
1495
Edinburgh University
1582
4. A tradition of excellence
• Founded in 1451
• 4th
oldest English-speaking university
• Famous past scholars:
– Adam Smith, economist
– James Watt, father of the condensing steam engine
– John Logie Baird, inventor of television
• Linked with 6 Nobel prize-winners
• Today’s campus established 1870
6. Investing for the future
• £152m invested in new facilities since 2001
• £300m planned for investment by 2010
• One of the best academic libraries in Europe
– 12 floors housing over 2.5 million books and journals
– £3 million spent each year on new material
– Access to over 26,000 electronic journals
• Students have access to the Library’s electronic data
and collections online
• Computing facilities
– Available for all students across campus
– Many wifi areas across campus
7. Research profile
• Founding member of Universitas 21
• Member of the UK’s Russell Group (UK Ivy League)
• 3,400 researchers across 9 faculties.
• RAE 2008: 88% of all research internationally
recognised.
• RAE 2008: Best in Scotland for 20 subjects
• Annual research contract income in the top ten of UK
universities.
• New research grants and contracts have passed the
£100M a year mark.
8. Quality Research
• Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment
(SCENE)
• Centre for Cognitive Neuro-Imaging
• Adam Smith Research Foundation
• Burns Centre for Scottish Literature
• Gravitational Wave Research
• James Watt Nanofabrication Centre
• Centre for International Development
• Triangle of Excellence – Biomedical
• Centre for Development Studies
9. Diverse student community
• 20,000 full-time students
– 15,500 undergraduate
– 4,900 postgraduate
• 16% international
– From over 120 countries
• 18% over 21 years of age
10. Excellence in learning and teaching
• Ranked 73 in the world
• Ranked 11 in the UK
• Ranked 2 in Scotland
• Scottish University of the Year 2007
• 6000 academic and support staff
• 400+ new academic staff appointed in past 5 years
– 68 professors
11. Faculties
• Arts
• Biomedical & Life Sciences
• Education
• Engineering
• Information & Mathematical Sciences
• Law, Business & Social Sciences
• Medicine
• Physical Sciences
• Veterinary Medicine
• 100+ departments
• 900+ degree programmes
12. Subject Strengths: Liberal Arts
• Scottish Literature
• English Literature
• English Language
• Film & Media Studies
• History
– American
– European
• History of Art
– #1 in RAE 2008
• Psychology
– Top 10 in UK
13. Subject Strengths: Biomedical & Life Sciences
• Associated with 5 Nobel Prize winners
• One of largest departments in UK
• Annual research income £17 million
• £3 million renovation and up-dating
• Only institution with access to fresh and salt
water facilities
• Students from 50+ countries
• Publish in top journals
• 100% postgraduate employment
• Lab skills programme
14. Subject Strengths: Engineering
• Oldest in UK
• Traditional foundation
• Top EEE department in Scotland in RAE
2008
• Excellent facilities
– Clean rooms for UG students
– Wind tunnels
– Super-computers
• Strong industrial links
– Aeronautical Engineering: BAE Preferred Partner
• £10 million in annual research grants
15. Subject Strengths: Information & Mathematical Sciences
• Psychology
– Top 10 in UK
• Computing Science
– Student satisfaction
– Top 10 2008 RAE
• Maths
– Since C17th
– International Reputation for Pure & Applied
16. Subject Strengths: Law, Business & Social Sciences
• Accounting & Finance
– #7 in Europe
– Top 5 in UK
– ‘Old’ department
• Economics
– #5 in UK
• Law
– 1 of oldest law departments in UK
– Oldest in Scotland
17. Subject Strengths: Physical Sciences
• Chemistry
– 5 Nobel Prize winners
• Astronomy and astrophysics
– Gravitational wave research
– Astronomer Royal for Scotland
• Geographical & Earth Sciences
– 100 years old
– 100% Student satisfaction in 2008
18. Subject Strengths: Veterinary Medicine
• One of four VetMed schools in Europe
accredited to British, European and US
standards
• State of the Art Facilities
• Small Animal hospital
19. Undergraduate: flexible modular system
Entry: MA Politics
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Year Four
Options
Politics 1
Politics Single Honours Degree
Politics
Politics
Management 1History 1
Politics 1 Italian 1 Management 2
Management Degree
Politics and Management Joint Degree
20. The student experience
• National Student Survey
– 87% student satisfaction
• International Student Barometer
– 86% of international students would recommend the
university
• Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey
2008
– 13th
in UK
21. Student Services
• Advisor of studies
• Student Counselling & Advisory Service
• Students’ Representative Council
• Health Service
• Student Disability Service
• Careers Service
• Alumni Services
22. Excellent Sporting Facilities
• 25m swimming pool
• Fully-equipped gyms
• 50+ classes per week
• All-weather pitches
• 3 tennis courts
• Cricket oval
• Sports clubs
– Skiing & snowboarding
– Karate, Hockey, Curling
– Cricket, Windsurfing, Boxing
– Rugby, Football and many more…
23. Student accommodation
• 3,300 bed spaces in University owned/managed
accommodation
• International students guaranteed a place for year of
entry
• Self-catered
• Catered
• Residence fees are inclusive of:
– Heating and lighting
– Internet access
– Bedding
– Group insurance cover for possessions
– laundry allowance
– on-site wardening
– free access to SRC minibus campus to halls (evenings
during term time)
25. The City of Glasgow
• One of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe
• Population around 800,000
• A cultural city
– free art galleries and museums
– home to Scottish Opera, Orchestra, Ballet, Theatre
– famous festivals:
• music, comedy, film, whisky, arts
– excellent restaurants, bars and nightclubs
– European City of Culture 1990
– UK City of Architecture 1999
• A commercial city
– shipbuilding and heavy engineering history
– today: media, creative arts, electronics, financial services,
education, bioscience, tourism
27. International Student Advisors
• International Student Advisers
– Advise on non-academic matters such as
immigration, finance, access to health care etc.
– Organise International Orientation Programme
– Organise social events throughout the year
– International Family Network
28. Work Opportunities in Scotland
• The Post Study Work Scheme
– Live and work anywhere in the UK for two years after
graduation:
– International Student Advisers available to assist with
applications
– Open to graduates with the following qualifications
• Bachelor degree
• Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma
• Postgraduate Masters or PhD
• International Careers Advisor
– Unique in Scotland
Notes de l'éditeur
Central location in Scotland with very good transport links:
2 airports
2 main train stations
Motorway Hub – M8 to East, M74 south, M9 north – good for coaches
Close to the Trossachs, the Highlands, and the Western Isles.
Amsterdam1hr 35 min
Belfast 45 min
Birmingham 1 hr 15min
Bristol1hr 10 min
Dublin55 min
East Midlands 1 hr 5 min
London1hr 25 min
Luton 1hr 15 min
Manchester1 hr 5 min
Southampton1 hr 30 min
Over 500 years of higher education
Internationally recognised and accepted qualifications
Comparably low costs
Very high quality of teaching and research
Flexible modular system
4 year bachelor degree
1 year master degree
N.B. “Ancient” = founded pre-1800
29th oldest in world.
Adam Smith; 2. James Watt; 4. John Logie Baird
Also:
Lord Kelvin – physicist
Joseph Black – founder of thermo-chemistry
Francis Hutchison – Philosopher, founder of Scottish Enlightenment
Joseph Lister – surgeon
Donald Dewar – First Minister for Scotland
6 Nobel prize winners have studied or taught at the University of Glasgow.
Graduate Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916) received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 for his discovery of inert gases which established a new group in the periodic table.
Frederick Soddy (1857-1956) lectured at the University in the early 1920s. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921 for his work on the origin and nature of isotopes.
Graduate John Boyd Orr (1880-1971) campaigned for an adequate diet for the people, starting during the First World War; his food plan produced a better nourished population than ever before. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949 for his work with the United Nations.
Graduate Sir Alexander Robertus Todd (1907-1997) received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1957. His research led directly to the understanding of nucleic acids.
Sir Derek Barton (1918-1998) Regius Professor of Chemistry in the 1950s, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1969 for his work on conformational analysis.
Sir James Black (b 1924) who worked at the University's Veterinary School during the 1950s, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1988 for discoveries of important principles for drug treatments. 11% of all Nobel Prize winners = Scots or with Scottish ancestry.
Further info: http://www.gla.ac.uk/about/history/fame/
1 – Glasgow University Dumfries
2 – Garscube Campus (VetMed, Beatson Inst. For Cancer Research, outdoor sports)
3 – Gilmorehill – Best Campus in Scotland - THES
SCENE: Scottish Centre for Ecology and Natural Environment
JWNC – one of largest clean rooms in the academic world
Lots of brand new equipment
Facilities at Loch Lomond and Millport
EEE – Only Scottish uni in top 10 RAE 2008
- Unistats #3
- Guardian #3
Astronomer Royal – Prof John C Brown
National Student Survey
Flexible Modular System: Example of how a student entering the MA Politics degree may progress dependent on module choice.