170-734: The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge , England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the world's third-oldest university in continuous operation . The university's founding followed the arrival of scholars who left the University of Oxford for Cambridge after a dispute with local townspeople. The two ancient English universities, although sometimes described as rivals, share many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge . In 1231, 22 years after its founding,
340-521: A Royalist garrison imposed on it in 1642. The subsequent Siege of Reading by Parliamentary forces succeeded in April 1643. The town's cloth trade was especially badly damaged, and the town's economy did not fully recover until the 20th century. Reading played a significant role during the Glorious Revolution : the second Battle of Reading was the only substantial military action of
510-714: A higher reputation domestically and globally . The University Grants Committee funds eight public universities in Hong Kong . The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts also receives funding from the government . There are four self-financing universities, namely Hong Kong Metropolitan University , Hong Kong Shue Yan University , Hang Seng University of Hong Kong , and Saint Francis University . In India , most universities and nearly all research institutions are public. Some private undergraduate colleges exist but most are engineering schools that are affiliated with public universities. Private schools can be partially aided by
680-470: A non-metropolitan district , with Berkshire County Council providing county-level services in the borough for the first time. Ahead of those reforms, the borough council campaigned to have Reading's boundaries enlarged to take in Earley, Woodley , Purley on Thames , the residual Tilehurst parish (covering the parts of Tilehurst which had not been transferred into the borough in 1911), and the eastern part of
850-683: A university institute , and a distance university in Portugal . Higher education in Portugal provided by state-run institutions is not free; students must pay a tuition fee. However, the tuition fee is lower than that of private universities. The highest tuition fee allowed by law in public universities is €697 per year as of 2022. Public universities include some of the most selective and demanding higher learning institutions in Portugal. In Russia , about 7.5 million students study in thousands of universities. Founded in 1755, Moscow State University
1020-407: A brief period after the turn of the 20th century, this allowed the steamboat ladies to receive ad eundem degrees from the University of Dublin . In 1998, a special graduation ceremony was held in which the women who attended Cambridge before admission was allowed in 1948 were finally conferred their degrees. Beginning in 1921, women were awarded diplomas that conferred the title associated with
1190-421: A broad administrative grouping of related faculties and other units. Each has an elected supervisory body known as a Council, composed of representatives of the various constituent bodies. The University of Cambridge maintains six such schools: Teaching and research at the university is organised by faculties. The faculties have varying organisational substructures that partly reflect their respective histories and
1360-528: A common law corporation. Its corporate titles include the Chancellor , Masters, and Scholars of the University of Cambridge. The college faculties are responsible for giving lectures, arranging seminars, performing research, and determining the syllabi for teaching, all of which is overseen by the university's general board. Together with the central administration headed by the Vice-Chancellor ,
1530-432: A complete range of academic specialties and related courses. Some colleges maintain a relative strength and associated reputation for expertise in certain academic disciplines. Churchill , for example, has a reputation for its expertise and focus on the sciences and engineering, in part due to the requirement imposed by Winston Churchill upon the college's founding that 70% of its students studied mathematics, engineering, and
1700-420: A degree of independence from the abbey from the 13th century onwards, particularly after the town's merchant guild was granted a royal charter in 1253. Following the dissolution of the abbey in 1538 the borough was granted a new charter in 1542. The borough boundaries were then set out in a subsequent charter from Elizabeth I in 1560. The borough covered the whole of the parish of St Laurence and parts of
1870-539: A few private institutions of higher learning, such as the National College of Ireland . However, none of the private institutions have university status and are highly specialized. Almost all universities in Italy are public but have institutional autonomy by law. The Italian state provides the majority of university funding. Therefore, students pay relatively low tuition fees, set by each university according to
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#17327659330492040-447: A global leader in geometry in the 1930s. The Cambridge University Act 1856 formalised the university's organisational structure and introduced the study of many new subjects, including theology, history, and Modern languages . Resources necessary for new courses in the arts, architecture, and archaeology were donated by Viscount Fitzwilliam of Trinity College , who also founded Fitzwilliam Museum in 1816. In 1847, Prince Albert
2210-1227: A handful of community colleges. In 2008, the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act 9500, declaring the University of the Philippines as the national university to distinguish it from all other state universities and colleges. Other notable public colleges and universities include the Polytechnic University of the Philippines , Technological University of the Philippines , Philippine Normal University , Batangas State University , and Mindanao State University . There are six autonomous public universities in Singapore , including National University of Singapore founded in 1905, Nanyang Technological University founded 1981, Singapore Management University founded in 2000, Singapore University of Technology and Design and Singapore Institute of Technology founded in 2009, and Singapore University of Social Sciences founded in 2017. In Sri Lanka , there are seventeen public universities. Most public universities are funded by
2380-435: A large number of traditions, myths, and legends. Some are true, some are not, and some were true but have been discontinued but have been propagated nonetheless by generations of students and tour guides. One such discontinued tradition is that of the wooden spoon , the prize awarded to the student with the lowest passing honours grade in the final examinations of the university's Mathematical Tripos . The last of these spoons
2550-542: A low-interest loan from the Higher Education Loan Board; students must pay back the loan after completing their higher education. In Nigeria , both the federal and state governments may establish public universities. South Africa has 26 public universities which are members of Universities in South Africa. These are categorized as traditional or comprehensive universities. In Tunisia ,
2720-486: A lower age demographic in the city. Most of the university's older colleges are located near the city centre, through which River Cam flows. Students and others traditionally punt on the River Cam, which provides views of the university's buildings that surround the river. A few of the notable University of Cambridge buildings are King's College Chapel ; the history faculty building designed by James Stirling ; and
2890-863: A month. The old Victorian Corn Exchange now provides an alternative access to a shopping centre. Every year Reading hosts the Reading Festival , which has been running since 1971. The festival takes place on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom aside from the Glastonbury Festival . Reading Festival takes place at Little Johns Farm in Reading, Richfield Avenue. For some twenty years until 2006, Reading
3060-564: A narrow steep-sided gap in the hills forming the southern flank of the Thames flood plain . The Kennet, which naturally divided into multiple shallow streams through the centre of Reading, was embanked as part of the construction of the Kennet and Avon Canal in the 18th century, allowing the development of wharves . The floodplains adjoining Reading's two rivers are subject to occasional flooding. As Reading has grown, its suburbs have spread: to
3230-644: A national institution in 1926, the Academy of Athens is the highest research establishment in Greece. Private higher education institutions cannot operate in Greece and are not recognized as degree-awarding bodies by the Greek government. In Ireland , nearly all universities, institutes of technology, colleges, and some third-level institutions are public. The state pays the cost of educating undergraduates, although students must contribute approximately €3,000. There are
3400-482: A new town hall by inserting an upper floor into the refectory of the Hospitium of St John , the former hospitium of Reading Abbey . For some 400 years up to the 1970s, this was to remain the site of Reading's civic administration through the successive rebuilds that eventually created today's Town Hall . In 1976, Reading Borough Council moved to the new Civic Centre . In 2014, they moved again to civic offices in
3570-487: A presence in the town, supplying Fibre-to-the-Premises ( FTTP ) broadband internet connections at speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s. Reading School (a state grammar school ), founded in 1125, is the 16th oldest school in England. There are six other state secondary schools and 38 state primary schools within the borough, together with a number of private schools and nurseries. Alfred Sutton Boys' School closed in
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#17327659330493740-473: A professional association football team, Reading F.C. , and participates in many other sports. Reading dates from the 8th century. It was a trading and ecclesiastical centre in the Middle Ages , the site of Reading Abbey , one of the largest and richest monasteries of medieval England with royal connections, of which the 12th-century abbey gateway and significant ancient ruins remain. By 1525, Reading
3910-588: A refurbished existing office building on Bridge Street , in order to facilitate the demolition and redevelopment of the previous site. Reading is 42 miles (68 km) north of the English south coast. The centre of Reading is on a low ridge between the River Thames and River Kennet , close to their confluence , reflecting the town's history as a river port. Just above the confluence, the Kennet cuts through
4080-470: A self-governing, self-funding theatre group and registered charity founded in 1947 that operates and maintains its own 97-seat theatre. Rabble Theatre in Caversham and Reading Rep on London Road offer classic and contemporary performances. Jelly is an artist-led organisation that has been committed to improving access to the arts since 1993. The demonym for a person from Reading is Redingensian , giving
4250-442: A significant presence in the town include Huawei Technologies , Pegasystems , Access IS , CGI Inc. , Agilent Technologies , Cisco , Ericsson , Symantec , Verizon Business , and Commvault . These companies are distributed around Reading or just outside the borough boundary, some in business parks including Thames Valley Park in nearby Earley, Green Park Business Park and Arlington Business Park . Reading town centre
4420-597: A single Luftwaffe plane machine-gunned and bombed the town centre, resulting in 41 deaths and over 100 injuries. The Lower Earley development, begun in 1977, was one of the largest private housing developments in Europe . It extended the urban area of Reading as far as the M4 Motorway . Further housing developments have increased the number of modern houses and hypermarkets in the outskirts of Reading. A major town-centre shopping centre, The Oracle , opened in 1999,
4590-485: A university department. The colleges also decide which undergraduates to admit to the university, in accordance with university standards and regulations. Costs to students for room and board vary considerably from college to college. Similarly, the investment in student education by each college at the university varies widely between the colleges. Cambridge has 31 colleges, two of which, Murray Edwards and Newnham , admit women only. The other colleges are mixed . Darwin
4760-582: A university, not a college, can issue doctorate degrees in Israel. In Japan , public universities are run by local governments, either prefectural or municipal. According to the Ministry of Education , public universities have "provided an opportunity for higher education in a region and served the central role of intellectual and cultural base for the local community in the region" and are "expected to contribute to social, economical and cultural development in
4930-620: A variety of checks and balances. The council is obliged to advise Regent House on matters of general concern to the university, which it does by publishing notices to the Cambridge University Reporter , the university's official journal. In March 2008, Regent House voted to increase from two to four the number of external members on the council, and this was approved by Her Majesty the Queen in July 2008. The General Board of
5100-539: A year and have to retake them, pay a partial or full tuition fee, ranging from €500 to €2000 per year. Private universities have existed in Serbia since 1989 but are held in less esteem because they are generally less academically rigorous than the public universities. Of the 74 universities in Spain , 54 are public and funded by the autonomous community in which they are based. University funding differs by region. However,
5270-642: Is Deborah Prentice , who began her role in July 2023. While the Chancellor's office is ceremonial, the Vice-Chancellor serves as the university's de facto principal administrative officer. The university's internal governance is carried out almost entirely by Regent House augmented by some external representation from the Audit Committee and four external members of the University's Council . The university Senate consists of all holders of
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5440-508: Is Robinson , which was built in the late 1970s. Most recently, in March 2010, Homerton College achieved full university college status, making it technically the university's newest full college. In medieval times, many colleges were founded so that their members could pray for the souls of the founders. University of Cambridge colleges were often associated with chapels or abbeys . The colleges' focus began to shift in 1536, however, with
5610-407: Is a collegiate university , which means that its colleges are self-governing and independent, each with its own property, endowments, and income. Most colleges bring together academics and students from a broad range of disciplines. Each faculty, school, or department at the university includes academics affiliated with differing colleges. The university is legally structured as an exempt charity and
5780-590: Is a conversion of a nonconformist chapel dating from 1707. Besides the two major shopping malls, Reading has three smaller shopping arcades, the Bristol and West Arcade, Harris Arcade and The Walk, which contain smaller specialist stores. An older form of retail facility is represented by Union Street , popularly known as Smelly Alley . Reading has no indoor market, but there is a street market in Hosier Street. A farmers' market operates on two Saturdays
5950-609: Is a major commercial centre, especially for information technology and insurance. It is also a regional retail centre, serving a large area of the Thames Valley with its shopping centres, including the Oracle , the Broad Street Mall, and the pedestrianised area around Broad Street. It is home to the University of Reading . Every year it hosts the Reading Festival , one of England's biggest music festivals. Reading has
6120-808: Is a major shopping centre. In 2007, an independent poll placed Reading 16th in a league table of best performing retail centres in the United Kingdom. The main shopping street is Broad Street , which runs between The Oracle in the east and Broad Street Mall in the west and was pedestrianised in 1995. The smaller Friars Walk in Friar Street is closed and will be demolished if the proposed Station Hill redevelopment project goes ahead. There are three major department stores in Reading: John Lewis & Partners (known as Heelas until 2001), Debenhams (now closed down), and House of Fraser . The Broad Street branch of bookseller Waterstone's
6290-629: Is a museum dedicated to recording the changing face of farming and the countryside in England. It houses designated collections of national importance. It is owned and run by the University of Reading , as are the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology , the Cole Museum of Zoology and the Harris Botanic Gardens , all of which can be found on the university's Whiteknights Campus . The small Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock tells
6460-574: Is a public research university and the most prestigious university in Russia. Saint Petersburg State University is a state-owned university that was founded in 1724; it is managed by the government of the Russian Federation . In Serbia , over 85% of college students study at state-operated public universities. Academically well-performing students pay only administrative fees of less than €100 per year. Students who fail multiple classes in
6630-641: Is a town and borough in Berkshire , England. Most of its built-up area lies within the Borough of Reading , although some outer suburbs are parts of neighbouring local authority areas. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers Thames and Kennet , Reading is 40 miles (64 km) east of Swindon , 28 miles (45 km) south of Oxford , 40 miles (64 km) west of London and 16 miles (26 km) north of Basingstoke . Reading
6800-468: Is based in Addenbrooke's Hospital , where medical students undergo their three-year clinical placement period after obtaining their BA degree. The West Cambridge site is undergoing a major expansion and will host new buildings and fields for university sports. Since 1990, Cambridge Judge Business School , on Trumpington Street , provides management education courses and is consistently ranked among
6970-575: Is buried within the Abbey grounds. As part of his endowments, he gave the abbey his lands in Reading, along with land at Cholsey . The town grew around a crossing of the River Kennet, about 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream from its confluence with the River Thames. In 1312, King Edward II directed that its bridges should be kept in good order. It is not known how badly Reading was affected by
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7140-559: Is complemented by Palmer Park , a purpose built public park in east Reading gifted to the town by the proprietors of Huntley & Palmers in 1889. A string of open spaces stretch along one or other side of the River Thames throughout its passage through Reading. From west to east these are Thameside Promenade , Caversham Court , Christchurch Meadows , Hills Meadow , View Island and King's Meadow . Reading also has five local nature reserves : Clayfield Copse in Caversham , with
7310-460: Is from Reading, made the film Cemetery Junction , which, although filmed elsewhere in the United Kingdom, is set in 1970s Reading and is named after a busy junction in East Reading . Jasper Fforde 's Nursery Crimes Division novels, The Big Over Easy and The Fourth Bear , are also placed in Reading. The BBC Two sitcom Beautiful People , based on the memoirs of Simon Doonan ,
7480-500: Is held currently by David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville , who succeeded the Duke of Edinburgh following his retirement on his 90th birthday in June 2011. Lord Sainsbury was nominated by the nomination board. The election took place on 14 and 15 October 2011 with Sainsbury taking 2,893 of the 5,888 votes cast, and winning on the election's first count. The current vice-chancellor
7650-524: Is highly competitive and has helped produce some of the most famous names in British science, including James Clerk Maxwell , Lord Kelvin , and Lord Rayleigh . However, some famous students, such as G. H. Hardy , disliked the Tripos system, feeling that students were becoming too focused on accumulating high exam marks at the expense of the subject itself. Pure mathematics at the University of Cambridge in
7820-772: Is largely based on Reading. Described with topographical accuracy, it is still possible to follow the steps of the novel's characters in present-day Reading. Reading also appears in the works of Thomas Hardy where it is called 'Aldbrickham'. It features most heavily in his final novel, Jude the Obscure , as the temporary home of Jude Fawley and Sue Bridehead. Oscar Wilde was imprisoned in Reading Gaol from 1895 to 1897. While there, he wrote his letter De Profundis . After his release, he lived in exile in France and wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol , based on his experience of
7990-493: Is named after the 17th-century Oracle workhouse , which once occupied a small part of the site. It provides three storeys of shopping space and boosted the local economy by providing 4,000 jobs. As one of the largest urban areas in the United Kingdom to be without city status , Reading has unsuccessfully bid for city status on four recent occasions – in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium; in 2002 to celebrate
8160-467: Is regulated by the Environment Agency . Reading's water supply is largely derived from underground aquifers , and as a consequence the water is hard . The commercial energy supplier for electricity and gas is at the consumer's choice. SSEN runs the local electricity distribution network, while SGN runs the gas distribution network. A notable part of the local energy infrastructure is
8330-707: Is set in Reading in the late 1990s. The Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens , an unofficial symbol of Reading, commemorates the 328 officers of the Royal Berkshire Regiment who died in the Battle of Maiwand in 1880. There are a number of other works of public art in Reading. The Blade , a fourteen-storey building completed in 2009, is 86 m (282 ft) tall and can be seen from the surrounding area. Jacksons Corner with its prominent sign, former home of Jacksons department store, occupies
8500-508: The Allies' forces in World War I with 13,878 members of the university serving and 2,470 being killed in action during the war. Teaching, and the fees it earned, nearly came to a halt during World War I, and severe financial difficulties followed. As a result, the university received its first systematic state support in 1919, and a Royal commission was appointed in 1920 to recommend that
8670-523: The Battle of Hastings and the Norman conquest of England , William the Conqueror gave land in and around Reading to his foundation of Battle Abbey . In its 1086 Domesday Book listing, the town was explicitly described as a borough . The presence of six mills is recorded: four on land belonging to the king and two on the land given to Battle Abbey. Reading Abbey was founded in 1121 by Henry I , who
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#17327659330498840-499: The Black Death that swept through England in the 14th century, but it is known that the abbot, Henry of Appleford , was one of its victims in 1361, and that nearby Henley lost 60% of its population. The Abbey was largely destroyed in 1538 during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries . The last abbot , Hugh Faringdon , was subsequently tried and convicted of high treason and hanged, drawn and quartered in front of
9010-488: The Cambridge Theological Federation and associated in partnership with the university. The University of Cambridge's 31 colleges are: In addition to the 31 colleges, the university maintains over 150 departments, faculties, schools, syndicates, and other academic institutions. Members of these are usually members of one of the colleges, and responsibility for the entire academic programme of
9180-815: The Church of England as too similar to the Catholic Church and felt that it was being used by The Crown to usurp the counties' rightful powers. East Anglia emerged as the centre of what ultimately became the Puritan movement . In Cambridge, the Puritan movement was particularly strong at Emmanuel , St Catharine Hall , Sidney Sussex , and Christ's . These colleges produced many nonconformist graduates who greatly influenced, by social position or preaching, some 20,000 Puritans who ultimately left England for New England and especially Massachusetts Bay Colony during
9350-1015: The Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge University Botanic Garden . Cambridge's 116 libraries hold a total of approximately 16 million books, around nine million of which are in Cambridge University Library , a legal deposit library and one of the world's largest academic libraries . Cambridge alumni, academics, and affiliates have won 124 Nobel Prizes. Among the university's notable alumni are 194 Olympic medal -winning athletes and several historically iconic and transformational individuals in their respective fields, including Francis Bacon , Lord Byron , Oliver Cromwell , Charles Darwin , Rajiv Gandhi , John Harvard , Stephen Hawking , John Maynard Keynes , John Milton , Vladimir Nabokov , Jawaharlal Nehru , Isaac Newton , Sylvia Plath , Bertrand Russell , Alan Turing , Ludwig Wittgenstein , and others. Prior to
9520-642: The Great Migration decade of the 1630s, settling in the colonial-era Colony of Virginia and other fledgling American colonies. The university quickly established itself as a global leader in the study of mathematics. The university's examination in mathematics, known as the Mathematical Tripos , was initially compulsory for all undergraduates studying for the Bachelor of Arts degree, the most common degree first offered at Cambridge. From
9690-541: The Korea National Open University which offers distance learning. The University of Seoul is a public municipal university. Manas University in Kyrgyzstan is a public higher education institution that offers associate degrees, undergraduate degrees, and graduate and postgraduate degrees. The University of Macau , Macao Polytechnic University , and Macao University of Tourism are
9860-472: The MA or higher degrees and is responsible for electing the Chancellor and the High Steward. Until 1950 when the Cambridge University constituency was abolished, it was also responsible for electing two members of the House of Commons . Prior to 1926, the university Senate was the university's governing body, fulfilling the functions that Regent House has provided since. Regent House is the university's governing body, comprising all resident senior members of
10030-468: The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research controls public universities and guarantees admission to students who earn a Tunisian Baccalaureate . Using a state website, the students make a wish list of the universities they want to attend, with the highest-ranking students getting priority choices. Universities rank students according to the results of their baccalaureate. There are forty public universities in Bangladesh . They are overseen by
10200-413: The River Kennet to boats as far as Newbury . Opposition stopped when it became apparent that the new route benefited the town. After the opening of the Kennet and Avon Canal in 1810, one could go by barge from Reading to the Bristol Channel . From 1714, and probably earlier, the role of county town of Berkshire was shared between Reading and Abingdon . In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it
10370-619: The University Grants Commission which was created by the government in 1973. Most universities in Brunei are public. In the People's Republic of China , nearly all universities and research institutions are public. Typically, provincial governments run public universities. However, some are administered by municipal governments or are national , which the central government directly administers. Private undergraduate colleges exist but are primarily vocational colleges sponsored by private entities. Private universities usually cannot award bachelor's degrees. Public universities tend to enjoy
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#173276593304910540-480: The University of Cambridge's Chancellor was given special powers allowing him to prosecute criminals and reestablish order in the city. Attempts at reconciliation between the city's residents and students followed; in the 16th century, agreements were signed to improve the quality of streets and student accommodation around the city. However, this was followed by new confrontations when the plague reached Cambridge in 1630 and colleges refused to assist those affected by
10710-562: The University of Mons in 2009. The state-created university founded in Antwerp in 1971 is now part of University of Antwerp . Hasselt University started as a state-created public institution managed by the Province of Limburg . Similarly, the Province of Luxembourg managed the state-created public university in Arlon which became part of ULiège in 2004. Since 1891, private universities have gradually become state-recognized and funded. Some private, mostly Catholic, organizations are called free institutions, as in administratively free from
10880-472: The central branch of the library was relocated to a new building on King's Road in 1985. The Reading Museum opened in 1883 in the town's municipal buildings . It contains galleries relating to the history of Reading and to the excavations of Calleva Atrebatum , together with a full-size bowdlerised replica of the Bayeux Tapestry , an art collection, and galleries relating to Huntley and Palmers . The Museum of English Rural Life , in East Reading ,
11050-437: The constitution of Greece , higher education institutions (HEI) include universities, technical universities, and specialist institutions. HEI undergraduate programs are government-funded and do not charge tuition. A quarter of HEI postgraduate programs are tuition-free. After individual assessments, thirty percent of Greek students are entitled to attend any of the statutory postgraduate programs without tuition fees. Founded as
11220-436: The dissolution of the monasteries and Henry VIII 's order that the university disband the canon law that governed the university's faculty and stop teaching scholastic philosophy . In response, colleges changed their curricula from canon law to classics , the Bible, and mathematics. Nearly a century later, the university found itself at the centre of a Protestant schism. Many nobles, intellectuals, and also commoners saw
11390-401: The first Battle of Reading , King Ethelred and his brother Alfred the Great attempted unsuccessfully to breach the Danes' defences. The battle is described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , and that account provides the earliest known written record of the existence of Reading. The Danes remained in Reading until late in 871, when they retreated to their winter quarters in London . After
11560-430: The 150 universities in Taiwan are public. Because the Taiwanese government provides funding to public universities, their students pay less than half the tuition fees of those at private universities. Ten public universities were established before the 1980s and are the most prestigious in Taiwan. As a result, most students choose public universities for their tertiary education. In the late 19th century Thailand , there
11730-407: The 19th century achieved great things, though it largely missed out on substantial developments in French and German mathematics. By the early 20th century, however, pure mathematical research at Cambridge reached the highest international standard, thanks largely to G. H. Hardy and his collaborators, J. E. Littlewood and Srinivasa Ramanujan . W. V. D. Hodge and others helped establish Cambridge as
11900-437: The 20th century, annexing Caversham across the River Thames in Oxfordshire in 1911, as well as most of Tilehurst to the west at the same time. Compared to many other English towns and cities, Reading suffered little physical damage during either of the two world wars that afflicted the 20th century, although many citizens were killed or injured in the conflicts. One significant air raid occurred on 10 February 1943, when
12070-413: The Abbey Church. By 1525, Reading was the largest town in Berkshire and the tenth largest town in England when measured by taxable wealth reported in tax returns. By 1611, it had a population of over 5,000 and had grown rich on its trade in cloth, as instanced by the fortune made by local merchant John Kendrick . Reading played a role during the English Civil War . Despite its fortifications, it had
12240-470: The Bachelor of Arts degree. But since women were not yet admitted to the Bachelor of Arts degree program, they were excluded from the university's governance structure. Since University of Cambridge students must belong to a college, and since established colleges remained closed to women, women found admissions restricted to the few university colleges that had been established only for them. Darwin College ,
12410-825: The Bulmershe College of Higher Education , a teacher training college , in 1989, becoming Bulmershe Court Campus . The Henley Management College , situated in Buckinghamshire and about 10 miles (16 km) from Reading, was taken over in 2008, becoming Greenlands Campus . The University of West London maintains a presence in the town for its higher education students, principally in nursing , but has now divested itself of its previous ownership of Reading College and its further education students. The Reading Borough Libraries service dates back to 1877. Initially housed in Reading Town Hall ,
12580-570: The Cambridge Teaching College for Women, Murray Edwards College , founded in 1954 by Rosemary Murray as New Hall , and Lucy Cavendish College , founded in 1965. Prior to ultimately being permitted admission to the university in 1948, female students were granted the right to take University of Cambridge exams beginning in the late 19th century. Women were also allowed to study courses, take examinations, and have prior exam results recorded retroactively, dating back to 1881; for
12750-817: The Code de l'éducation states that " private higher education establishments can in no case take the title of university. " Nevertheless, many private institutions, such as the Catholic University of Lille or the Catholic University of Lyon , use the university as their marketing name. Most higher education institutions in Germany are public and operated by the states . All professors are public servants. Public universities are generally held in higher esteem than their private counterparts. From 1972 through 1998, public universities were tuition-free; however, some states have since adopted low tuition fees. According to
12920-457: The Faculties is responsible for the university's academic and educational policies and is accountable to the council for its management of these affairs. Faculty boards are accountable to the general board; other boards and syndicates are accountable either to the general board or to the council. Under this organizational structure, the university's various arms are kept under supervision of both
13090-596: The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II ; in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee ; and in 2022 to mark the Platinum Jubilee . Local government for the borough is provided by Reading Borough Council , which has been a unitary authority providing all local government functions since 1998. There are no civil parishes in the borough. Some of the built-up area's outer suburbs are outside
13260-466: The Greater Reading area. Reading has over 100 parks and playgrounds, including 5 miles (8 km) of riverside paths. In the town centre is Forbury Gardens , a public park built on the site of the outer court of Reading Abbey . The largest public park in Reading is Prospect Park , an estate in west Reading previously owned by Frances Kendrick but acquired by Reading Corporation in 1901. This
13430-535: The Ministry of Education controls all public universities. Students enroll after completing a 8-4-4 educational program system and attaining a mark of C+ or above. Students who meet the criteria set annually by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service receive government sponsorship, with the government providing part of their university or college fees. Students are also eligible for
13600-503: The New Court and Cripps Buildings at St John's College . The brickwork of several colleges is notable: Queens' College has some of the earliest patterned brickwork in England and the brick walls of St John's College are examples of English bond , Flemish bond , and Running bond . The university is divided into several sites, which house the university's various departments, including: The university's School of Clinical Medicine
13770-679: The Punjab is the biggest public university, followed by University of Karachi . The public universities receive guidance and recognition from the Higher Education Commission . There are more than 500 public higher education institutions in the Philippines that are controlled and managed by the Commission on Higher Education . Of the 500, 436 are state colleges and universities, 31 local colleges and universities, and
13940-718: The Reading Electric Supply Company Limited, then from 1933 by the Reading Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The dialling code for fixed-line telephones in Reading is 0118. BT provides fixed-line telephone coverage throughout the town and ADSL broadband internet connection to most areas. Parts of Reading are cabled by Virgin Media , supplying cable television, telephone and broadband internet connections. Hyperoptic also has
14110-516: The UK, endowment reserve stood at £2.469 billion. The 31 colleges reported collective endowment reserve of £4.582 billion . In the fiscal year ending 31 July 2023, the central university, excluding colleges, reported total consolidated income of £2.518 billion, of which £569.5 million was from research grants and contracts. In July 2022, the Dear World, Yours Cambridge Campaign for
14280-590: The United Kingdom offices of foreign multinationals, as well as being a major retail centre. Whilst located close enough to London to be sometimes regarded as part of the London commuter belt , Reading is a net inward destination for commuters. During the morning peak period, there are some 30,000 inward arrivals in the town, compared to 24,000 departures. Major companies Microsoft , Oracle and Hibu (formerly Yell Group) have their headquarters in Reading. The insurance company Prudential has an administration centre in
14450-518: The United Kingdom to pursue full-time postgraduate study at Cambridge. In October 2021, the university suspended its £400m collaboration with the United Arab Emirates , citing allegations that UAE was involved in illegal hacking of the university's computer and storage systems using NSO Group 's Pegasus software. UAE also was behind the leak of over 50,000 phone numbers, including hundreds belonging to British citizens. Stephen Toope ,
14620-799: The Warren. Reading has a local newspaper, the Reading Chronicle , published on Thursdays. The town's other local newspaper, the Reading Post , ceased publication on paper in December 2014, in order to transition to an online only format under the title getreading . As of 2018, getreading joined the InYourArea local news network. A local publishing company, the Two Rivers Press , has published over 70 book titles, many on
14790-571: The borough boundaries in West Berkshire and Wokingham . These outer suburbs belong to civil parishes, in some cases with their own town status. Reading has elected at least one Member of Parliament to every Parliament since 1295. Since the 2024 general election , the borough of Reading has been divided between the parliamentary constituencies of Reading Central , Reading West and Mid Berkshire (which also covers part of West Berkshire), and Earley and Woodley (which also covers part of
14960-645: The borough of Reading in 1977. The borough council became a unitary authority in 1998, when the county council was abolished under the Banham Review , which saw the borough council take over county-level functions, effectively restoring the council to the powers it had held when Reading was a county borough prior to 1974. As part of those reforms, the Local Government Commission had initially recommended expanding Reading's boundaries to include Earley, Tilehurst parish, Purley on Thames and
15130-635: The borough of Wokingham). Reading is the site of venues for both the Crown Court , administering criminal justice, and the County Court , responsible for civil cases. Lesser matters are dealt with in a local magistrates' court . Reading was an ancient borough , being described as a borough by the time of the Domesday Book in 1086. The borough was initially controlled by Reading Abbey as its manorial owner. The town gradually gained
15300-550: The campaign. The 18th century saw the beginning of a major iron works in the town and the growth of the brewing trade for which Reading was to become famous. Reading's trade benefited from better designed turnpike roads which helped it establish its location on the major coaching routes from London to Oxford and the West Country . In 1723, despite considerable local opposition, the Kennet Navigation opened
15470-513: The central administration and Regent House. The Cambridge University Endowment Fund is the main vehicle of investment for the University. In the fiscal year ending 31 July 2023, the university group, excluding colleges, reported a total endowment of £3.736 billion. The figure includes both restricted and unrestricted funds. When reported strictly using Statements of Recommended Practice (SORPs) guidelines, which accounted for only donations that meet certain criteria among non-profit organizations in
15640-473: The central government establishes homogeneous tuition fees for all public universities which are much lower than those of their private counterparts. The highest tuition fee allowed by law was, as of 2010, €14.97 per academic credit, amounting to roughly €900 a year for an average 60-credit full-time course. Tuition fees at private universities might reach €18,000 a year. Reading, Berkshire Reading ( / ˈ r ɛ d ɪ ŋ / RED -ing )
15810-516: The centuries. During the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, strong clashes led to attacks and looting of university properties as locals contested the privileges granted by the British government to the University of Cambridge's academic staff. Residents burned university property in Market Square to the famed rallying cry " Away with the learning of clerks, away with it! ". Following these events,
15980-542: The chancellor and the guild of scholars granted the new university ius non trahi extra , or the right not to be drawn out, for three years, meaning its members could not be summoned to a court outside of the diocese of Ely. After Cambridge was described as a studium generale in a letter from Pope Nicholas IV in 1290, and confirmed as such by Pope John XXII 's 1318 papal bull , it became common for researchers from other European medieval universities to visit Cambridge to study or give lecture courses. The 31 colleges of
16150-516: The college faculties make up the University of Cambridge. Facilities such as libraries are provided on all these levels by the university. The Cambridge University Library is the university's largest and primary library. Squire Law Library is the primary library for the university's students of law . Individual colleges each maintain a multi-discipline library designed for each college's respective undergraduates. College libraries tend to operate 24/7 and their usage in generally restricted to members of
16320-514: The college. Conversely, libraries operated by departments are generally open to all students of the university, regardless of subject. The colleges are self-governing institutions with their own endowments and property, each founded as components of the university. All students and most academics are attached to a college. The colleges' importance lies in the housing, welfare, social functions, and undergraduate teaching they provide. All faculties, departments, research centres, and laboratories belong to
16490-509: The colleges are self-governing institutions within the university, managing their own personnel and policies, and all students are required to have a college affiliation within the university. Undergraduate teaching at Cambridge is centred on weekly small-group supervisions in the colleges with lectures, seminars, laboratory work, and occasionally further supervision provided by the central university faculties and departments. The university operates eight cultural and scientific museums, including
16660-544: The corner of Kings Road and High Street, just south of the Market Place. Reading has six Grade I listed buildings, 22 Grade II* and 853 Grade II buildings, in a wide variety of architectural styles that range from the medieval to the 21st century. The Grade I listed buildings are Reading Abbey , the Abbey Gateway , Greyfriars Church , St Laurence's Church , Reading Minster , and the barn at Chazey Farmhouse on
16830-415: The date of their matriculation . Lucy Cavendish , which was previously a women-only mature college, began admitting both men and women in 2021. All other colleges admit both undergraduate and postgraduate students without any age restrictions. Colleges are not required to admit students in all subjects; some colleges choose not to offer subjects such as architecture, art history, or theology, but most offer
17000-582: The death of a local Oxford -area woman, were hanged by town authorities without first consulting ecclesiastical authorities, who traditionally would be inclined to pardon scholars in such cases. But during this time, Oxford's town authorities were in conflict with King John . Fearing more violence from Oxford townsfolk, University of Oxford scholars began leaving Oxford for more hospitable cities, including Paris, Reading , and Cambridge . Enough scholars ultimately took residence in Cambridge to form, along with
17170-490: The disease by locking their sites. Such conflicts between Cambridge's residents and university students have largely disappeared since the 16th century, and the university has grown as a source of enormous employment and expanded wealth in Cambridge and the region. The university also has proven a source of extraordinary growth in high tech and biotech start-ups and established companies and associated providers of services to these companies. The economic growth associated with
17340-533: The execution of Charles Wooldridge , carried out in Reading Gaol whilst he was imprisoned there. In March 2021, street artist Banksy claimed responsibility for a painting on the wall of the jail. It depicted an inmate escaping with bedsheets and a typewriter, said to resemble Oscar Wilde . Reading was the location of the world's first commercial studio for photograph printing, which was set up by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1844. Ricky Gervais , who
17510-1007: The fee was €1,951 in 2015. Non-European Union students and students who want to complete a second bachelor's or master's degree pay a legal school fee. Annually, these legal school fees range between €7,000 for bachelor programs and €30,000 for master's programs in medicine. The Ministry of Education supervises all universities, including private institutions. Almost all universities in Norway are public and state-funded. In Poland , public universities are established by Acts of Parliament. The government pays all tuition fees and other costs of public university students. In contrast, private citizens, societies, or companies operate private universities that charge tuition fees directly to students. These institutions are generally held in lower regard than public universities. A small number of private universities do not charge fees, such as John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin . There are thirteen public universities,
17680-458: The festival has existed since 1918 and the celebration itself originated even earlier at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall in 1880. The first television broadcast of the festival was in 1954. The university occupies a central location within the city of Cambridge . University of Cambridge students represent approximately 20 percent of the town's population, which was 145,674 as of 2021, resulting in
17850-614: The first clear evidence for Reading as a settlement dates from the 8th century, when the town came to be known as Readingas . The name probably comes from the Readingas , an Anglo-Saxon tribe whose name means Reada's People in Old English (the Anglo-Saxons often had the same name for a place and its inhabitants). In late 870, an army of Danes invaded the kingdom of Wessex and set up camp at Reading. On 4 January 871, in
18020-419: The first graduate college of the university, matriculated both male and female students from its inception in 1964 and elected a mixed fellowship. Undergraduate colleges, starting with Churchill , Clare , and King 's colleges, began admitting women between 1972 and 1988. Among women's colleges at the university, Girton began admitting male students in 1979, and Lucy Cavendish began admitting men in 2021. But
18190-517: The founding of the University of Cambridge in 1209, Cambridge and the area surrounding it already had developed a scholarly and ecclesiastical reputation due largely to the intellectual reputation and academic contributions of monks from the nearby bishopric church in Ely . The founding of the University of Cambridge, however, was inspired largely by an incident at the University of Oxford during which three Oxford scholars, as an administration of justice in
18360-481: The franchise was restricted to male graduates with a doctorate or MA degree. For the first several centuries of its existence, as was the case broadly in England and the world, the University of Cambridge was only open to male students. The first colleges established for women were Girton College , founded by Emily Davies in 1869, Newnham College , founded by Anne Clough and Henry Sidgwick in 1872, Hughes Hall , founded in 1885 by Elizabeth Phillips Hughes as
18530-608: The government through the University Grants Commission , which handles undergraduate placements and staff appointments. The top institutions include the University of Peradeniya founded in 1942 and the University of Colombo founded in 1921. Sri Lanka also has a joint service military university, the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University , which is operated by the Ministry of Defence . One-third of
18700-679: The legislation of the national government until higher education was moved to the control of the three communities in 1990. Consequently, the Flemish , the French , and the German communities determine which institutes of higher education organize and issue diplomas. Until the 1970s, Belgium had two state universities: the University of Liège (ULiège) and the Ghent University (UGent), both founded in 1817. These are often referred to as
18870-443: The many scholars already there, the nucleus for the new university's formation. By 1225, a chancellor of the university was appointed, and writs issued by King Henry III in 1231 established that rents in Cambridge were to be set secundum consuetudinem universitatis , according to the custom of the university, and established a panel of two masters and two townsmen to determine these. A letter from Pope Gregory IX two years later to
19040-560: The mid-1980s. Reading College has provided further education in Reading since 1955, with over 8,500 local learners on over 900 courses. English language schools in Reading include Gateway Languages, the English Language Centre, ELC London Street and Eurospeak Language School . The University of Reading was established in 1892 as an affiliate of Oxford University . It moved to its London Road Campus in 1904 and to its new Whiteknights Campus in 1947. It took over
19210-516: The name of the local rugby team Redingensians , based in Sonning , and of former members of Reading School . Jane Austen attended Reading Ladies Boarding School , based in the Abbey Gateway , in 1784–1786. Mary Russell Mitford lived in Reading for a number of years and then spent the rest of her life just outside the town at Three Mile Cross and Swallowfield . The fictional Belford Regis of her eponymous novel, first published in 1835,
19380-563: The naming of Garret Hostel Lane and Garret Hostel Bridge , a street and bridge in Cambridge. The University of Cambridge's first college, Peterhouse , was founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham , the Bishop of Ely . Multiple additional colleges were founded during the 14th and 15th centuries, and colleges continued to be established during modern times, though there was a 204-year gap between the founding of Sidney Sussex in 1596 and that of Downing in 1800. The most recent college to be established
19550-542: The national or state governments. India also has an "open" public university, the Indira Gandhi National Open University which offers distance education. In terms of the number of enrolled students, it is now the largest university in the world with over four million students. In Indonesia , the government supports public universities in each province. Funding comes through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and
19720-540: The north bank of the Thames from Oxfordshire (except the Caversham Park area, which was transferred to the parish of Eye and Dunsden ), and most of the parish of Tilehurst (including the main village at Tilehurst Triangle and the area around the parish church at Churchend) to the west. Local government was reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , which saw Reading redesignated as
19890-451: The north-western parts of Earley , and the eastern end of the parish of Tilehurst . When elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888 , Reading was considered large enough for its existing borough council to provide county-level services, and so Reading was made a county borough , independent from Berkshire County Council . The borough boundaries were enlarged again in 1911 to take in Caversham on
20060-447: The other female-only colleges have remained female-only colleges as of 2023. As a result of St Hilda's College, Oxford , ending its ban on male students in 2008, Cambridge is now the only remaining university in the United Kingdom with female-only colleges; the two female-only colleges at the university are Newnham and Murray Edwards . As of the 2019–2020 academic year, the university's male to female enrollment, including post-graduates,
20230-655: The other four McIlroy Park , Blundells Copse , Lousehill Copse and Round Copse all in Tilehurst The principal National Health Service (NHS) hospital in Reading is the Royal Berkshire Hospital , founded in 1839 and much enlarged and rebuilt since. A second major NHS general hospital , the Battle Hospital , closed in 2005. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust runs a NHS hospital, Prospect Park Hospital, which specialises in
20400-474: The parish of Theale . The government decided to make no change to Reading's boundaries, leaving them as they had been since last reviewed in 1911. Shortly after the 1974 reforms came into effect, a more limited review of the borough's boundaries north of the Thames was carried out, which saw the Caversham Park area and part of the parish of Mapledurham on the western side of Caversham transferred into
20570-658: The parishes of St Giles and St Mary . The part of St Giles' parish outside the borough was known as the hamlet of Whitley , and the part of St Mary's parish outside the borough was known as the tithing of Southcote . The borough was reformed in 1836 to become a municipal borough under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. The borough boundaries, which had not been changed since 1560, were enlarged in 1887 to take in Southcote, Whitley,
20740-466: The parts of the parishes of Shinfield , Burghfield and Theale north of the M4 motorway , but it was ultimately decided to leave Reading's boundaries unchanged. Reading's boundaries south of the Thames therefore have not changed since 1911, despite the urban area having now expanded well beyond the borough boundaries. Cross-boundary working between the borough council and the neighbouring councils which cover
20910-488: The presence of a 2 megawatt (peak) Enercon wind turbine at Green Park Business Park , with the potential to produce 2.7 million kWh of electricity a year, enough to power over a thousand homes. Additionally, Reading Hydro runs a micro hydroelectric power station on the Thames. Reading had its own power station in Vastern Road from 1895 to the 1960s. The power station was initially owned and operated by
21080-434: The present-day University of Cambridge were originally an incidental feature of the university; no college within the University of Cambridge is as old as the university itself. The colleges within the university were initially endowed fellowships of scholars. There were also institutions without endowments, called hostels, which were gradually absorbed by the colleges over the centuries, and they have left some traces, including
21250-520: The provincial and municipal governments. Some of the public universities in Iran offer tuition-free and tuition-based programs. State-run universities are highly selective and competitive. There are nine official universities in Israel , a few dozen colleges, and about a dozen foreign university extensions. The Council for Higher Education in Israel supervises all of these institutions academically. Only
21420-772: The provision of care for people with mental health and learning disabilities. Reading has three private hospitals: the Berkshire Independent Hospital in Coley Park , the Dunedin Hospital situated on the main A4 Bath Road, and the Circle Hospital at Kennet Island. Mains water and sewerage services are provided by Thames Water Utilities Limited , a private sector water supply company, whilst water abstraction and disposal
21590-706: The public universities in Macau . There are twenty public universities in Malaysia , funded by the government but governed as self-managed institutions. Tribhuvan University was the first public university in Nepal . It operates through six different institutes and is affiliated with various colleges. There are government-funded Purbanchal University and Pokhara University . There are 107 public universities in Pakistan , compared to 76 private universities. University of
21760-824: The region". This contrasts with the research-oriented aspects of national universities. In 2010, 127,872 students were attending 95 public universities, compared to 86 national universities and 597 private universities in Japan. Many public universities are relatively new; in 1980, there were only 34 public universities in Japan. Since July 2003, public universities may incorporate under the Local Independent Administrative Institutions Law. In South Korea , most public universities are national. There are 29 national universities, eighteen special universities, and ten educational universities. In addition, there are two national colleges and
21930-685: The same for all public universities. Except for some fields of study, notably medicine, all Austrians who pass the Matura exam have the right to attend any public university. Overenrolled degree programs have introduced additional entrance exams that students must pass in the first year or before starting the degree, especially with scientific subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics. Private universities have existed since 1999 but are considered easier than public universities and thus hold less esteem. All public universities in Belgium were operated under
22100-442: The sciences. Other colleges have more informal academic focus and even demonstrate ideological focus, such as King's , which is known for its left-wing political orientation, and Robinson and Churchill , both of which have a reputation for academic focus on sustainability and environmentalism. Three theological colleges at the university, Westcott House , Westminster College , and Ridley Hall Theological College , are members of
22270-499: The sole county town of Berkshire, a decision that was officially approved by the privy council in 1869. The town became county borough under the Local Government Act 1888 . In the 19th and 20th centuries, the town's three largest industries were known as the Three Bs : beer (1785–2010, H & G Simonds ), bulbs (1837–1974, Suttons Seeds ), and biscuits (1822–1976, Huntley and Palmers ). The town continued to expand in
22440-411: The specific education landscape. In contrast a private university is usually owned and operated by a private corporation (not-for-profit or for profit). Both types are often regulated, but to varying degrees, by the government. In Egypt, Al-Azhar University was founded in 970 AD as a madrasa ; it formally became a public university in 1961 and is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in
22610-1046: The state despite being state-funded. As of 2022, the communities fund all recognized universities, public and private, which follow the same rules and laws. The state runs most public universities in Croatia . Students who perform well academically pay only administrative fees which are less than €100 per year. Students who fail multiple classes in a year must retake the courses and pay a partial or full tuition fee. Almost all universities in Denmark are public and are held in higher esteem than their private counterparts. Danish students attend university for free. All universities in Finland are public and free of charge. Most universities and grandes écoles in France are public and charge very low tuition fees—less than €1000 per year. Major exceptions are semi-private grandes écoles such as HEC , EMLyon or INSEAD . Article L731-14 of
22780-605: The story of Reading's two rivers. The Museum of Berkshire Aviation has a collection of aircraft and other artefacts relating to the aircraft industry in the town. Reading's location in the Thames Valley to the west of London has made the town a significant element in the nation's transport system. The town grew up as a river port at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Kennet . Both of these rivers are navigable, and Caversham Lock , Blake's Lock , County Lock , Fobney Lock and Southcote Lock are all within
22950-498: The student with the lowest passing grade deserving of the spoon, leading to discontinuation of the tradition. Each Christmas Eve, The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols , sung by the Choir of King's College , are broadcast globally on BBC World Service television and radio and syndicated to hundreds of additional radio stations in the U.S. and elsewhere. The radio broadcast has been a national Christmas Eve tradition since 1928, though
23120-494: The student's family wealth, the course of study, and exam performance. A few scholarships are available for the best low-income students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. However, for research, private funding ranges from low to non-existent, compared to most European countries. The Netherlands Ministry of Education funds most public universities. Dutch citizens and those from European Union countries pay an annual tuition fee for their first bachelor's or master's degree;
23290-584: The study of anatomy , genetics , and Earth sciences . During this period, the New Museums Site was erected, including the Cavendish Laboratory , which has since moved to West Cambridge , and other departments for chemistry and medicine. The University of Cambridge began to award PhD degrees in the first third of the 20th century; the first Cambridge PhD in mathematics was awarded in 1924. The university contributed significantly to
23460-467: The suburban and adjoining rural areas is sometimes criticised, particularly over matters such as transport and school catchment areas. Prior to the 16th century, civic administration for the town of Reading was situated in the Yield Hall , a guild hall situated by the River Kennet near today's Yield Hall Lane. After a brief stay in what later became Greyfriars Church , the town council created
23630-630: The time of Isaac Newton in the late 17th century until the mid-19th century, the university maintained an especially strong emphasis on applied mathematics , and especially mathematical physics . Students awarded first class honours after completing the mathematics Tripos exam are called wranglers , and the top student among them is known as the Senior Wrangler , a position that has been described as "the greatest intellectual achievement attainable in Britain." The Cambridge Mathematical Tripos
23800-615: The top 20 business schools in the world by Financial Times . Many of the sites are quite close together, and the area around Cambridge is reasonably flat. Furthermore, students are not permitted to hold car park permits except under special circumstances. For these reasons, of the favourite modes of transport for students is the bicycle; an estimated one-fifth of journeys in the city are made by bike. The University of Cambridge and its constituent colleges include many notable locations, some of which are iconic or of historical, academic, religious, and cultural significance, including: Cambridge
23970-426: The topic of local history and art. Three local radio stations broadcast from Reading: BBC Radio Berkshire , Heart South and Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire and North Hampshire . Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian , BBC London & ITV London can also be received. Reading has one local television station, That's Thames Valley , which broadcasts local news throughout
24140-422: The town. PepsiCo and Wrigley have offices. Global pharmaceutical giant Bayer Life Sciences relocated to Reading's Green Park Business Park in 2016. Reading has a significant historical involvement in the information technology industry, largely as a result of the early presence in the town of sites of International Computers Limited and Digital Equipment Corporation . Other technology companies with
24310-562: The two historic state universities. In 1965, small specialized single-faculty public institutions were recognized as universities, including the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech ; both are now part of the University of Liège . The Belgian state created smaller public universities that have since merged with larger institutions, including the public university at Mons in 1965 which became part of
24480-429: The university (but not its colleges) begin receiving an annual grant. Following World War II , the university experienced a rapid expansion in applications and enrollment, partly due to the success and popularity gained by many Cambridge scientists. This was not without controversies, however. For example, Cambridge researchers were accused in 2023 of helping to develop weapon systems for Iran. The University of Cambridge
24650-459: The university and colleges concluded, raising a total of £2.217 billion in commitments. The university maintains multiple scholarship programs. The Stormzy Scholarship for Black UK Students covers tuition costs for two students and maintenance grants for up to four years. In 2000, Bill Gates of Microsoft donated US$ 210 million through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to endow Gates Cambridge Scholarships for students from outside
24820-427: The university and the colleges, the Chancellor, the High Steward , the Deputy High Steward, and the Commissary. Public representatives of Regent House are the two Proctors , elected to serve for one year terms upon their nominations by the colleges. Although the University Council is the university's principal executive and policy-making body, the Council reports to, and is held accountable by, Regent House through
24990-399: The university is divided among them. The university has a department dedicated to providing continuing education , the Institute of Continuing Education , which is based primarily in Madingley Hall , a 16th-century manor house in Cambridgeshire . Its award-bearing programmes include both undergraduate certificates and part-time master's degrees. A school in the University of Cambridge is
25160-413: The university was recognised with a royal charter , granted by King Henry III . The University of Cambridge includes 31 semi-autonomous constituent colleges and over 150 academic departments, faculties, and other institutions organised into six schools . The largest department is Cambridge University Press & Assessment , which has £1 billion of annual revenue and reaches 100 million learners. All of
25330-425: The university's high tech and biotech growth has been labeled the Cambridge Phenomenon, and has included the addition of 1,500 new companies and as many as 40,000 new jobs added between 1960 and 2010, mostly at Silicon Fen , a business cluster launched by the university in the late 20th century. Partly because of the University of Cambridge's extensive history, which now exceeds 800 years, the university has developed
25500-413: The university's operational needs, which may include a number of departments and other institutions. A small number of bodies called syndicates hold responsibility for teaching and research, including for the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate , the University Press , and the University Library . The Chancellor of the university is limitless term position that is mainly ceremonial and
25670-485: The university's outgoing Vice-Chancellor, said the decision to suspend its collaboration with UAE also was a result of additional revelations about UAE's Pegasus software hacking. Public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from one country (or region) to another, largely depending on
25840-480: The university, which arranges lectures and awards degrees, but undergraduates receive their overall academic supervision within the colleges through small group teaching sessions, which often include just one student; though in many cases students go to other colleges for supervision if the teaching fellows at their college do not specialise in a student's particular area of academic focus. Each college appoints its own teaching staff and fellows, both of whom are members of
26010-405: The valleys containing the two rivers remain largely unimproved floodplain . Apart from the M4 curving to the south there is only one road across the Kennet flood plain. All other routes between the three built-up areas are in the central area. Like the rest of the United Kingdom, Reading has a maritime climate , with limited seasonal temperature ranges and generally moderate rainfall throughout
26180-407: The west between the two rivers into the foothills of the Berkshire Downs as far as Calcot , Tilehurst and Purley ; to the south and south-east on the south side of the River Kennet as far as Whitley Wood and Lower Earley and as far north of the Thames into the Chiltern Hills as far as Caversham Heights , Emmer Green and Caversham Park Village . Outside the central area, the floors of
26350-420: The world. In the 20th century, Egypt opened many other public universities with government-subsidized tuition fees, including Cairo University in 1908, Alexandria University in 1912, Assiut University in 1928, Ain Shams University in 1957, Helwan University in 1959, Beni-Suef University in 1963, Zagazig University in 1974, Benha University in 1976, and Suez Canal University in 1989. In Kenya ,
26520-414: The year. The nearest official Met Office weather station is located at the Reading University Atmospheric Observatory on the Whiteknights Campus , which has recorded atmospheric measurements and meteorological observations since 1970. The local absolute maximum temperature of 37.6 °C (99.7 °F) was recorded on 19 July 2022 and the local absolute minimum temperature of −14.5 °C (5.9 °F)
26690-458: Was a high demand for professional talent by the central government. In 1899, the King founded the School for Training of Civil Officials near the northern gate of the royal palace. Graduates from the school became royal pages, a traditional entrance into the Mahattai Ministry or other government ministries. As of 2019, Thailand has nineteen public universities. In Austria , most universities are public. The state regulates tuition fees, making costs
26860-492: Was also known for its WOMAD Festival until it moved to Charlton Park in Malmesbury , Wiltshire . The Reading Beer Festival was first held in 1994 and has now grown to one of the largest beer festivals in the United Kingdom. It is held at King's Meadow for the five days immediately preceding the May Day bank holiday every year. Reading also holds Reading Pride , an annual LGBT festival in Kings Meadow. The Frank Matcham -designed Royal County Theatre, built in 1895,
27030-417: Was awarded in 1909 to Cuthbert Lempriere Holthouse, an oarsman of the Lady Margaret Boat Club at St John's College . It was over one metre in length and had an oar blade for a handle. It can now be seen outside the Senior Combination Room of St John's College. Since 1908, examination results have been published alphabetically within class rather than in strict order of merit, which made it difficult to ascertain
27200-412: Was elected the university's chancellor in a close contest with the Earl of Powis . As chancellor, Albert reformed university curricula beyond its initial focus on mathematics and classics, adding modern era history and the natural sciences . Between 1896 and 1902, Downing College sold part of its land to permit the construction of Downing Site , the university's grouping of scientific laboratories for
27370-416: Was located on the south side of Friar Street. It burned down in 1937. Within the town hall is a 700-seat concert hall that houses a Father Willis organ. Reading theatre venues include The Hexagon and South Street Arts Centre. Reading Repertory Theatre is based at Reading College : its Royal Patron is Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh . Amateur theatre venues in Reading include Progress Theatre ,
27540-422: Was nearly balanced with its total student population being 53% male and 47% female. In 2018 and later years, the university has come under some criticism and faced legal challenges over alleged sexual harassment at the university. In 2019, for example, former student Danielle Bradford, represented by sexual harassment lawyer Ann Olivarius , sued the university for its handling of her sexual misconduct complaint. "I
27710-465: Was one of only two universities to hold parliamentary seats in the Parliament of England and was later one of 19 represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The constituency was created by a Royal charter of 1603 and returned two members of parliament until 1950 when it was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1948 . The constituency was not a geographical area; rather, its electorate consisted of university graduates. Before 1918,
27880-514: Was one of the southern termini of the Hatfield and Reading Turnpike that allowed travellers from the north to continue their journey to the west without going through the congestion of London. During the 19th century, the town grew rapidly as a manufacturing centre. The Great Western Railway arrived in 1841, followed by the South Eastern Railway in 1849 and the London and South Western Railway in 1856. The Summer Assizes were moved from Abingdon to Reading in 1867, effectively making Reading
28050-591: Was recorded in January 1982. In mid-2018, the area covered by the Borough of Reading had 174,820 inhabitants and a population density of 4,327 per square kilometre (11,207/sq mi). Meanwhile, the wider urban area had a population of 318,014 in the 2011 census , ranking 23rd in the United Kingdom. This grew to an estimated 337,108 by mid-2018. According to the 2011 census, 74.8% of the borough's population were described as White (65.3% White British ), 9.1% as South Asian , 6.7% as Black , 3.9% Mixed , 4.5% as Chinese and 0.9% as other ethnic group . In 2010, it
28220-421: Was reported that Reading had 150 different spoken languages within its population. Reading has a large Polish community, which dates back over 30 years, and in October 2006 the Reading Chronicle printed 5,000 copies of a Polish edition called the Kronika Reading . Reading is a commercial centre in the Thames Valley and Southern England . The town hosts the headquarters of several British companies and
28390-422: Was the first college to admit both men and women. In 1972, Churchill , Clare , and King's were the first previously all-male colleges to admit female undergraduates. In 1988, Magdalene became the last all-male college to accept women. Clare Hall and Darwin admit only postgraduates, and Hughes Hall , St Edmund's , and Wolfson admit only mature undergraduate and graduate students who are 21 years or older on
28560-419: Was the largest town in Berkshire, and tenth in England for taxable wealth. The town was seriously affected by the English Civil War , with a major siege and loss of trade, but played a pivotal role in the Glorious Revolution , whose only significant military action was fought on its streets. The 18th century saw the beginning of a major ironworks in the town and the growth of the brewing trade for which Reading
28730-411: Was to become famous. The 19th century saw the coming of the Great Western Railway and the development of the town's brewing, baking and seed growing businesses, and the town grew rapidly as a manufacturing centre. Reading is also the county town of Berkshire. Occupation at the site of Reading may date back to the Roman period , possibly in the form of a trading port for Calleva Atrebatum . However,
28900-691: Was told that I should think about it very carefully because making a complaint could affect my place in my department", Bradford alleged in 2019. In 2020, hundreds of current and former students accused the university in a letter, citing "a complete failure" to deal with sexual misconduct complaints. The relationship between the university and the city of Cambridge has sometimes been uneasy. The phrase town and gown continues to be employed to distinguish between Cambridge residents (town) and University of Cambridge students (gown), who historically wore academical dress . Ferocious rivalry between Cambridge's residents and university students have periodically erupted over
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