Brief introduction of Cambridge University

Cambridge University [1] was founded in 1209 by a group of teachers who escaped from Oxford University to avoid fighting. King Henry III granted Cambridge University the monopoly of teaching in 123 1. Cambridge University and Oxford University are both the best universities in Britain, known as "Oxford Oxbridge" and one of the top ten universities in the world, with 8 1 Nobel Prize winners from this school. Cambridge University is a member of Russell Group, a British elite university alliance, and coimbra group, a European university alliance. The current headmaster is Alison Richard.

Cambridge, where Cambridge University is located, is a small English town with 65,438+10,000 residents, which is less than 654.38+000 kilometers away from the British capital London. There is a river that runs through this town. It is named "Kanghe". As early as 43 BC, Roman soldiers were stationed on this river and later built on it. Most colleges, research institutes, libraries and laboratories are in this town, in addition to more than 20 churches.

University emblem Cambridge University has 365,438+0 colleges, three women's colleges and two specialized graduate schools. Each college has a different historical background and implements a unique college system. 35 colleges with different styles are financially self-financing; Cambridge University is responsible for student planning and teaching. Each college has different admission procedures. To some extent, each college is like a micro-university, with its own school rules and disciplines. Peter College, the first college of Cambridge University, was established in 1284, and other colleges were established in 14 and15th century.

Many places in Cambridge University have preserved their features since the Middle Ages, and ancient buildings that have been carefully maintained for hundreds of years can be seen everywhere. The porches and walls of many school buildings are still decorated with simple and solemn statues and seals, and the tall stained glass windows are like a magnificent picture. Cambridge University has more than 65,438 teachers (professors, associate professors and lecturers) and more than 65,438 visiting scholars. Cambridge University has16,900 students, including 6,935 graduate students, 72% of whom are from other universities, 42% are foreign students and 36% are women. The president of the university is the Queen's husband, Prince Philip (who is also the president of Oxford University), and there is an executive vice president to preside over the daily work.

Students of Cambridge University take part in all kinds of extracurricular activities, among which boating is the most popular sport. There are frequent competitions between colleges in Cambridge University, and Cambridge University holds rowing competitions with Oxford University every year. There are various other sports competitions between universities, including rugby, cricket and chess. University of Cambridge

The university ranked 59th in the Top 500 World Brands in 2006 compiled by the World Brand Lab.

[Edit this paragraph] Organization

Cambridge University [1] is actually just a loosely organized consortium of colleges, which are highly autonomous, but all abide by the unified charter of Cambridge University, which is drafted and adopted by the university's legislature and revised every year. Cambridge University is only responsible for examinations and degree awarding, while the specific criteria for enrollment are determined by each college and are self-enrolled.

The 35 colleges in Cambridge are scattered in small towns with a population of only about 65438+ 10,000. These colleges were built in different times, with a history of 700 to 800 years at the earliest. Just like their buildings, each college has its own style and independent personality.

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Although universities and colleges complement each other, they are different entities and economically independent. Universities are public and funded by the state, while colleges are private and self-financing. The university is responsible for graduate students, the college is responsible for undergraduate enrollment, and the number is planned by the university. The university is responsible for all students' teaching, and the college is responsible for students' life and amateur counseling for undergraduates. At the end of each year, universities rank colleges according to their undergraduate scores and certain rules, so as to promote competition among colleges. ?

The president of Cambridge University is elected by the academic council of the university, and is generally held by a prestigious person in the society. The post of president is symbolic, and the president rarely gets involved in university affairs. Generally, he is only responsible for awarding honorary degrees and attending various school celebrations, although he can also give advice to vice presidents and university administrators. The vice-chancellor who is really responsible for the daily affairs of the university is nominated by the university Council and appointed by the Regent's Court of Cambridge. The vice president has several assistant vice presidents, who are responsible for specialized fields and assist the vice presidents in their daily work.

Regent's Court is the highest legislative and power organ of the university, which is composed of faculty and staff of various colleges, with about 3,000 members. They can formulate or amend school rules and regulations, vote to appoint vice presidents, members of university conferences, and award degrees and honorary degrees. Decision-making can be divided into two types: the first is a relatively simple and agreed motion (such as the appointment of the president and university staff), which is generally put forward by the university conference and published in Cambridge Journal. If a certain number of members of the Regent's House do not raise objections within 10 days, it will be passed. If a complicated and important bill is put forward by someone outside the university, it will be published in the school magazine by the sponsor and then debated openly. Finally, after considering all the opinions, the proposer suggested that the Regent's Court amend the motion and publish it in the school magazine. If a certain number of members of the Regent's House do not raise objections within 10 days, it will be passed. But if a certain number of members think it is necessary, the Regent's House needs to hold a vote. The voting was conducted by mail. When the Regent's Court meets, it shall be presided over by the Dean, or in the absence of the Dean, by the Vice President, or in the absence of the Vice President, by the Dean of the College appointed by him. Now almost everything can be solved without a meeting, but it must be held four times a year in June to approve the conferment of degrees. In addition, if Cambridge University needs to award honorary degrees, the Regent's House also needs to hold a meeting to vote.

The Senate of Cambridge University used to be the highest legislative body, but at present its only responsibility is to elect the president. Members of the Senate include all students or professors who have obtained a master's degree or above from Cambridge University.

The full name of the university conference is the academic conference, which is responsible for daily administrative work. The members are ***2 1, including the president (but generally absent), the vice president and the elected members of 19. 19 people include 4 representatives of college presidents, 4 representatives of professors, 8 other members from Regent Hospital and 3 representatives of students (at least 1 people are graduate students). The first three types of members are elected by the Regent's Court, and the student representatives are elected by the students.

[Edit this paragraph] Administrative organ

Principal and vice principal

The current president of this university is the Duke of Edinburgh, and the vice president is Professor Alison Richard. The president's office is only formally established, and the vice president is the academic and administrative person in charge of the university. The internal management of the university is carried out independently by all departments of the university, and only a few external affairs are handled by representatives appointed by the central organ of the university.

Senate and Regent's House

Members of the university Senate must have a postgraduate degree or above, and are responsible for electing the president of the university and the members of the Cambridge University constituency in the British House of Commons until 1950. Before 1926, the Senate was the administrative department of the university, performing the duties of the current Regent's Court.

Regent's Court is the administrative department of the university, and its members include the president, senior housekeeper, deputy senior housekeeper, university representatives and senior members from universities and colleges.

Parliament and Council

University Council is the institution that formulates and implements university policies. It regularly reports to the Regent's Court and supervises and checks the rights and functions of the Regent's Court. The university Council has the right to report to the Council the issues of general concern to the university and publish them through the official magazine of the university. Since June 5438+ 10, 2005, there have been two off-campus members in the University Council. In March 2008, the Regent's Court voted to increase the number of off-campus members to four, which was approved by the Queen in July 2008.

The university Council is responsible for the academic and teaching work of the university, and the parliament is responsible for management. The Council also manages the councils of different departments of the university. In this way, different departments of the university are managed and supervised by the central administrative agency.

department

Cambridge University has more than 150 departments and research institutions. Faculty members are usually members of one or more colleges and are usually responsible for academic and research work in universities.

Departments and research institutions in universities are divided into six departments, and each department is composed of many departments and research institutions. A parliament is responsible for supervising the teaching and research work of different institutions. The six departments of Cambridge University are:

Art and humanities

Biological Sciences (including Veterinary Medicine)

Clinical Medicine

Humanities and social sciences

natural science

technology

In addition, some institutions of Cambridge University are also responsible for university teaching and research, including Cambridge University Examination Committee, Cambridge University Press and University Library.

[Edit this paragraph] Course setting

Generally speaking, the educational system in Britain is shorter than that in the United States. Undergraduate students in Cambridge University [1] usually spend three to four years. You can get a bachelor's degree after three years; Four years later, I will get a master's degree. Those who join the work after three years of undergraduate graduation can submit their papers in their posts one year later and apply for a master's degree directly. So strictly speaking, Cambridge University does not have a real master's degree, and the master's degree is just a transition. The associate doctor is a slightly distinctive degree from Cambridge and Oxford. Due to different majors, it usually lasts for two years, one year of teaching and one year of thesis. If the course (usually four courses) scores more than 65 points, you can directly transfer to a doctoral degree, and you can get a doctoral degree after two years of study. There are three differences between an associate doctor and a master's degree: first, one or two years for an associate doctor can be counted as the time to get a doctor's degree, while it takes at least three years to study directly from a master's degree; Secondly, if your final grade is above 65, the school can provide you with opening hours. Within the effective time (for example, two years), you can go to school at any time and continue your doctoral studies. Thirdly, Cambridge stipulates that if you get an associate doctorate and have worked for a certain number of years, you can also submit a doctoral thesis directly. According to the quality of your thesis and your work performance, the school can award you a doctorate, but the master does not have this honor. But it is not easy to get a doctorate in this way.

[Edit this paragraph] Professional Settings

Department of Architecture and Art History; Department of ancient Greek and Roman languages and literature; Department of theology; English department; Department of modern and medieval languages; Music department; Oriental system; Department of Economics; Ministry of Education; History department; Legal department; Department of philosophy; Department of Social and Political Sciences; Department of Earth Science Geography; Engineering department; Department of Mathematics; Department of Physical Chemistry; Department of Archaeology and Anthropology; Department of Medicine; Computer science and technology; Department of Land Economics; Department of management; Biology department; psychology

[Edit this paragraph] School history

/kloc-in the 0/2nd century, monks with three rooms, black robes and camouflage came to settle in this flat and humid swamp area, and Cambridge Town was born.

1209, two scholastic philosophers of Oxford University were accused of murdering a prostitute, and the Oxford City Court sentenced them to hang. In protest, Oxford teachers temporarily stopped teaching and left one after another, and some of them came to Cambridge. It is not unusual to leave and rebuild; The University of Leipzig was also founded after some people split from Prague University. But why build this university in Cambridge instead of North Hampton or Stamford? They are also prosperous towns, and students from Oxford University live there. Why not in London? Or in a cathedral city like Lincoln? At that time, there was already a episcopal school there.

Although the situation of establishing a university in Cambridge is ambiguous, it is recorded that a group of teachers and college students have successfully obtained the protection of the royal family and the church in the face of suspicious citizens, which is the basic condition of unstable times. At the latest around 1225, the teachers in Cambridge elected a president from among them, and his power was approved by King Henry III, which led to the autonomous management of the university. Soon after, Pope Gregory IX also approved it in 1233. This kind of church privilege was not enjoyed by Oxford until 1254. Speaking of this, Elizabeth Lidham-Green, the archivist of Cambridge University, is complacent ("Cambridge often starts in Oxford, but always ends before Oxford." More importantly, however, the decrees of Henry II and his successors ensured the monopoly of the two universities. Until the19th century, Oxford and Cambridge were the only two universities in Britain for 600 years. This monopoly does not exist anywhere else in Europe.

Like Oxford, this university in Cambridge didn't have its own house at first. They teach, live in rented houses and go wherever they can. College students have lived in guest houses from the beginning, and the owner is responsible for supervision. 1280 before this private dormitory was replaced by a college with its own school buildings and donations, there were already 34 such college apartments in the city, and donations can ensure the durability and independence of the college.

1284, Bishop Hugh de Barr Siam of Avery Abbey founded Peter House College, the first college in Cambridge. Until the constitution of the college, it followed the model of Bishop College and Merton College 20 years earlier than Oxford. Peter House College has a dean and fourteen academicians, two elders are in charge of daily worship, two financial directors are in charge of financial management, and one is in charge of fund-raising. They also need a porter when they can afford it. Except for two or three poor students, this is a group of people with degrees, an advanced college student institution, modeled after the Sorbonne College in Paris. It was not until the beginning of14th century that King's College, founded by Edward II, formed a guiding scheme: taking the college as a collective for students' study and life. People call those students the children of the king. They are really children. School age is about 14 years old.

Who were the people who went to college at that time? First of all, the main people who send their sons to Cambridge are small landlords and the upper class of the city, and there are fewer nobles and squires. The living environment of students in the early Middle Ages was as bad and poor as a monastery. Often only a doctor of theology, that is, a theologian with a doctorate, has the right to get a room of his own. Other academicians share a room with a group of college students-St. John's College stipulates: "There are no more than two people in a bed unless they are under 14 years old." You must go to church in the morning and evening, and sit in a simple and cold classroom with hay on the ground, listening to lectures and debating. No sports activities and organized spare time. The only pastime: pubs and women in the city. As early as 1342, some people expressed dissatisfaction with the fashionable deviant behavior of college students and university teachers: "Baldness is a sign of their status, and they despise this sign. They wear their hair long over their shoulders like women, or perm it into curly hair and apply grease (…). They wear fur-collar robes, red and green checked shoes, long silk scarves, rings on their fingers, and wide and expensive girdles.

At that time, the school year was divided into three semesters. Like all European universities in the Middle Ages, in Cambridge, there are seven "liberal arts" in the basic courses, also known as "the art of making a living": the old three study grammar, logic and rhetoric, the latter four study arithmetic, music, astronomy and geometry, and the other three study philosophy: metaphysics, moral philosophy and natural philosophy. After seven years of study, whoever passes the liberal arts examination will become a master of arts and have the right to teach. However, anyone who wants to become a doctor of law, a doctor of medicine or a doctor of theology and develop in the royal family or the church will have to live for another ten years-seventeen years without a penny.

Niuqiao graduates used to have the best employment opportunities. Especially after the 1348/49 plague, which claimed nearly one third of Britain's population, the demand for well-educated priests, administrators, jurists and doctors increased. Around 1370, there are eight colleges and about 20 dormitories in Cambridge. There are nearly 700 people in the whole university, not as many as a Queen's College today. It was not until the15th century that the poor cousins in Oxford had the same scale as their old partners, although their influence was not as good as it.

Medieval universities are also the guarantee for the salvation of souls. They have a dedication church where they have to hold a long mass for their customers. Setting up a college is regarded as a religious act, just like donating money to build a monastery or an altar painting. The founders of Cambridge Early College were definitely not just church members. It also includes kings and their women, wives of upper-class aristocrats like Elizabeth de Claire and Countess pembroke, and a few state officials, businessmen and bishops. The guardian of the Eucharist College of Christ is the most special. This is the only college in Cambridge (and Oxford) founded by two guilds in the city. 1352-Thirty years later, the citizens almost destroyed it.

In medieval university towns, the friction between "towns" and "colleges" was not a big deal. As early as 123 1, King Henry III of England complained to the mayor of Cambridge about the high rent on behalf of college students. On the other hand, citizens are dissatisfied with the privileges of universities, from the supervision of the business license of pubs to their own judicial power, which has been the commitment of all British monarchs to these two universities since13rd century-this form continued until the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Anger accumulated and peasant riots attacked Cambridge 138 1. The mob, led by the mayor, robbed the dormitory, the college and the university safe of St. Mary's College. Documents were destroyed and books piled up in the market and burned: "Don't teach priests, don't!" " "

The city must make painful compensation for the riots in 138 1. The king re-established the status of the university. It later supervised Cambridge's weights and measures and the prices of daily necessities. It even studies leisure activities of city residents, such as football and performances, cockfighting and bear fighting. It was not until 1856 that the parliament issued a decree that universities lost the right to supervise urban fairs and annual markets, issue business licenses for pubs and make their own judgments. However, it retained its ancient right not to let students be tempted by the most dangerous until 1894, that is, it approved the right to arrest prostitutes and act. Until 1974, the university has four representatives in the city council. It was not until 265438+the beginning of the 20th century that Blair's government successfully deprived Cambridge University of its last privilege, which can be traced back to a document by Richard II 1382: the right to issue wine licenses.

Nothing can change the image of medieval cities more than the construction of colleges, and nothing can anger citizens more than the expansion of university land. When you sit on the low wall in front of King's College, it's easy to imagine that there were rows of houses on the grass behind the wall, and the hutong led to the river. The spacious courtyard and grass where the famous chapel is located used to be a complete urban area-1441year. King Henry VI built the college in vain, and demolished and leveled it. There used to be hundreds of craftsmen's houses and shops here, which were distributed along the former Milne Street. A main street parallel to the river can only be identified from the rest of it: from Sanyi Hutong in the north to today's Queen Hutong in the south. This is a typical urban transformation, and there may be land speculation. In any case, this is the beginning of a complete structural transformation. The handicraft area along the river has become a campus, one of the most beautiful university parks in Europe, and a backyard.

During this period, the university built its first building, including classrooms, conference rooms, a library and an old school that managed the building (1350- 1475). Other colleges are around the core of this college: Clare College, Trinity School and gonville School. The warehouses, shipyards and docks along the Jianhe River also gradually disappeared. 1500 or so, there are more than a dozen colleges in Cambridge, most of which are located between Gao Jie and Jianhe, starting from Peter House College, which is already outside the city wall, and ending at Trinity College and St. John College in the north. This kind of development is obvious: universities are expanding in the west of the city, while towns (citizens) are still the mainstay in the east instead of robes (cap and gown).

Humanism also spread with printing. The most outstanding representative of this great classical spiritual revival movement in Europe is Erasmus from Rotterdam. Erasmus came to Cambridge. Here he comes, cursing the climate, stale beer and poor scribe. In fact, he is not satisfied with anything, and has been on and off for nearly three years. From 15 1 1 to 15 14, he lived in Queen's College and taught theology and Greek, writing, translation, publishing and communication, with unparalleled exuberance and elegance. Erasmus was not just a missionary in Cambridge. The study of original materials replaced the medieval scholasticism. The emphasis has shifted from theology to eloquence, from cultivating priests to cultivating knowledgeable national pillars. Since then, ancient languages and literature have long occupied an important position in the teaching courses of British universities. Cambridge humanists' interest in Greek and Hebrew brought proofreading versions of the Bible and ancient religious works. This is also a hotbed of reform.

The man who called Erasmus to Cambridge was his friend John Fisher, who played a key role in this development. He is the dean of Queen's College, the bishop of Rochester, the president of the university for 30 years, a scholar and an influential organizer, and also a confessor of Margaret beaufort, henry vii's mother. The pious dean didn't suggest that she donate her property to Westminster Abbey, but suggested that she should associate the redemption of her soul with Cambridge: first, she donated a theology professorship (1502), then a college, Christian College (1505), and then she donated a second college, St. John's College (. Henry vii completed King's Church because of John Fisher's participation. Huge donations, the increase in the number of students, and the humanitarian teaching plan have all made Cambridge a European-level university in a few years, first of all at the same level as Oxford. John Fisher is a reformer, but he believes in orthodoxy. He called the moderate Erasmus to Cambridge and publicly burned Martin Luther's works. Finally, he stood on the guillotine. His opponents include Thomas Cranmer, a former member of Jesus College and the Archbishop of Canterbury. He reminded King Henry VIII that theologians in Cambridge had agreed to explain the tricky right to decide the rights and interests of the church in his favor. Under the coercion and inducement, the university agreed, but the president of the university disagreed. 1535, John Fischer was executed as a traitor, and 400 years later he was regarded as a saint.

Unlike the more conservative Oxford, Cambridge teachers are willing to accept Luther's Protestant teachings. 152 1 year, they gathered in Baima pub of King's College to discuss this new theory from Germany. People call this group of sympathizers "Little Germany". If their pub had not been demolished long ago, we would have seen a sign there: "The pioneers of Protestantism in England used to drink here." Hugh latimer, Thomas Kramer, myles coverdale, Matthew Parker, and william tyndale-as Bible translators, bishops and archbishops, these friends of "Little Germany" made decisive contributions to spreading the Reformation in Britain. Two books played a particularly important role, Tyndale's Bible and Kramer's Prayer Book.

Henry VIII himself has never been particularly interested in Cambridge, but he donated five royal professors to the university, which belongs to the contradiction between the times and its flame king. In this era of breakthrough, the royal family needs Oxford and Cambridge as reliable reserve rooms for administrators, jurists and priests, and as academic pillars of the government. So Henry VIII finally founded a college in 1546, merging two older colleges into a new college-Trinity College, which is bigger than all the colleges so far. This is not only a sign of aristocratic freedom. It is still the only college in Cambridge that is not elected by academicians, but appointed by the royal family on the proposal of the Prime Minister.

1553, Mary Tudor, Henry's daughter and Catholic, ascended the British throne. The pagan Committee was established and the dean of the college was dismissed. Three revolutionary pioneers in Cambridge, Kramer, Latimer and ridley, were all burned at the stake in Oxford. Some Protestants fled to the mainland, and some were not at peace after being buried. 1556 On February 6th, the bodies of Protestant theologians Martin Bisser and Paul Fakir were dug up, and their coffins were tied to wooden stakes and carried to the market square in Cambridge for burning, as if they were pagan restorers.

Queen Elizabeth I believes in Protestantism. Under her rule, the university was gradually consolidated, and the change of the throne had far-reaching influence. People continue to argue fiercely about the authority of the Bible and the church. The oath of recognition of the Anglican Church has plunged many people into a struggle of conscience, whether they are Catholics or Puritans who are completely loyal to Elizabeth I, the "Queen of Our Lady" has introduced the commandment that academicians must be single, except the dean. Starting from 1570, this prohibition of marriage was incorporated into the university charter-officially to 186 1. A new college was established. Emmanuel College (1584) and Sydney Sussex College (1596) both aim at promoting Protestantism. In order to show the historical break with Catholicism, both churches initially sat south facing north instead of west facing east.

Elizabeth I came to Cambridge only once, that was 1564 summer. She prefers "Dear Oxford" and supports it. But during her long reign, Cambridge University has never been so close to the throne and power. Her minister, Baron william cecil of Burleigh, was the headmaster of his alma mater for nearly forty years. Cambridge graduates have successively served as archbishop of Canterbury, serving in the senior departments of the state and the church.

With the stability of religion, the number of college students has also increased from 1570 1630 to about 3000 1620. Now, there are more and more sons of "gentlemen" who come to study. At that time, three types of college students were formed: aristocrats, who paid expensive study fees and got their degrees without taking exams. This is one of their many privileges, eating at the same table with other members and scholars; Pensioners, middle-class college students, pay for accommodation and study, but less; Finally, sizar, the recipient of financial aid from poor families, is free of tuition, but they must work in a college. The educational foundation of the three social classes in universities is the tutorial system developed in the 7th century, which is also a part of the college economy. Young academicians make a living as mentors.

For hundreds of years, the city of Cambridge has only been the back garden of this university and the warehouse of cheap labor. As early as 1954, Irish playwright Sean Okasi wrote after visiting Cambridge: "The city is crowded and winding around the college building, giving the impression that a declining young man wants to count on a rich relative to give him a job." The more the university expands, the greater the demand for doormen, school waiters, cleaning women and craftsmen. This city is still quite small-1801when the first census was conducted in, there were less than 9,000 residents-and it is a small town in the bustling agricultural economic center. Farmers, masons, winemakers, tailors, shoemakers and businessmen live here. There are no big houses in the city, and all the rich people live in the surrounding manors. However, guests from all over the country, London carriages and mainland businessmen come to Cambridge once a year: in September, they come to catch the year of Stuart Bridge.

King Stuart prefers Oxford; They use Cambridge as a stopover for horse racing in the new market. When James I stayed in Trinity College in 16 14, smoking was banned in the whole college, because as we all know, the king hated smoking. In order to amuse him, the teachers arranged a philosophical drama at Cambridge University, and performed a debate on the question "Does the dog engage in syllogism?". Finally, it is concluded that dogs can't think. Hearing this, the monarch said that his dog was an exception. Teachers echoed loudly and obsessively. There is no doubt that Cambridge is a vibrant place, full of theological and political debates, and it is not only young Milton who has benefited a lot. At Sussex College in Sydney, student oliver cromwell was exposed to Calvinism. 1640, he was elected to parliament on behalf of Cambridge by one vote-the only vote destroyed the church and the kingdom. John Cleveland, an academician and poet of St. John's College, commented. Unlike cities, when the civil war broke out, universities remained loyal to the royal family. Cromwell returned on 1643, turning the college into a military camp and Cambridge into the headquarters of the Eastern Anglican parliamentary movement. Most deans lost their official positions, half academicians and more than 200 people were dismissed; Some people fled to Oxford where Charles I lived. William Dowsing was entrusted by the Parliament to destroy everything that survived the college reform: angels, icons, and all kinds of things that showed the power of the Pope. No matter how savage the statue destroyer is, he also reflects the extreme piety of many of Cromwell's contemporaries.