Oxford University

A Brief History of the

Oxford is a unique and historic institution. As the oldest English-speaking university
in the world, it lays claim to eight centuries of continuous existence. There
is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in
1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students
from attending the University of Paris.

In 1188, the
historian, Gerald of Wales, gave a public reading to the assembled Oxford dons
and in 1190 the arrival of Emo of Friesland, the first known overseas student,
initiated the University's tradition of international scholarship. By 1201, the
University was headed by a magister scolarum Oxonie, on whom the title of
Chancellor was conferred in 1214, and in 1231 the masters were recognized as a universitas
or corporation.

In the 13th century, rioting between town and gown (students
and townspeople) hastened the establishment of primitive halls of residence.
These were succeeded by the first of Oxford's colleges, which began as medieval
'halls of residence' or endowed houses under the supervision of a Master.
University, Balliol and Merton Colleges, established between 1249 and 1264,
were the oldest.

Less than a century later, Oxford had achieved eminence above
every other seat of learning, and won the praises of popes, kings and sages by
virtue of its antiquity, curriculum, doctrine and privileges. In
1355, Edward III paid tribute to the University for its invaluable contribution
to learning; he also commented on the services rendered to the state by
distinguished Oxford graduates.

Oxford early
on became a centre for lively controversy, with scholars involved in religious
and political disputes. John Wyclif, a 14th-century Master of Balliol,
campaigned for a bible in the vernacular, against the wishes of the papacy. In
1530, Henry VIII forced the University to accept his divorce from Catherine of
Aragon. During the Reformation in the 16th century, the Anglican churchmen
Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were tried for heresy and burnt at the stake in
Oxford. The University was Royalist in the Civil War, and Charles I held a
counter-Parliament in Convocation House.

In the late
17th century, the Oxford philosopher John Locke, suspected of treason, was
forced to flee the country. The 18th century, when Oxford was said to have
forsaken port for politics, was also an era of scientific discovery and
religious revival. Edmund Halley, Professor of Geometry, predicted the return
of the comet that bears his name; John and Charles Wesley's prayer meetings
laid the foundations of the Methodist Society.

The University assumed a leading role in the Victorian era,
especially in religious controversy. From 1811 onwards The Oxford Movement
sought to revitalise the Catholic aspects of the Anglican Church. One of its
leaders, John Henry Newman, became a Roman Catholic in 1845 and was later made
a Cardinal. In 1860 the new University Museum was the site of a famous debate
between Thomas Huxley, the champion of evolution, and Bishop Wilberforce.

From 1878, academic halls were established for women, who
became members of the University in 1920. Since 1974, all but one of Oxford's
39 colleges have changed their statutes to admit both men and women. St Hilda's
remains the only women's college.

In the years since the war, Oxford has added to its humanistic
core a major new research capacity in the natural and applied sciences,
including medicine. In so doing, it has enhanced and strengthened its traditional
role as a focus for learning and a forum for intellectual debate.

Structure of the University

Oxford is an independent and self-governing institution,
consisting of the central University and the Colleges.

The Vice-Chancellor, who holds office for seven years,
is effectively the 'Chief Executive' of the University. Three Pro-Vice-Chancellors
have specific, functional responsibility for Academic Matters, Academic
Services and University Collections, and Planning and Resource Allocation. The Chancellor,
who is usually an eminent public figure elected for life, serves as the titular
head of the University, presiding over all major ceremonies.

The principal policy-making body is the Council of the
University, which has 26 members, including those elected by Congregation,
representatives of the Colleges and two members from outside the University.
Council is responsible for the academic policy and strategic direction of the
University, and operates through four major committees: Educational Policy and
Standards, General Purposes, Personnel, and Planning and Resource Allocation.

Final responsibility for legislative matters rests with Congregation,
which comprises over 3600 members of the academic, senior research, library,
museum and administrative staff.

The Colleges, though independent and self-governing,
form a core element of the University, to which they are related in a federal
system, not unlike the United States. In time, each college is granted a
charter approved by the Privy Council, under which it is governed by a Head of
House and a Governing Body comprising of a number of Fellows, most of whom also
hold University posts. There are also six Permanent Private Halls, which were
founded by different Christian denominations, and which still retain their
religious character. Thirty colleges and all six halls admit students for both
undergraduate and graduate degrees. Seven other colleges are for graduates
only; one, All Souls, has fellows only, and one, Kellogg College, specialises
in part-time graduate and continuing education.

Oxford's current academic community includes 78 Fellows of the
Royal Society and 112 Fellows of the British Academy. A further 100 Emeritus
and Honorary College Fellows are Fellows of the Royal Society and 145 Emeritus
and Honorary College Fellows are also Fellows of the British Academy.

The University of Oxford has more academic staff working in
world-class research departments (rated 5* or 5 in the RAE 2001) than any other
UK university.

Staff

Oxford's current academic community includes 78 Fellows of the
Royal Society and 112 Fellows of the British Academy. A further 100 Emeritus
and Honorary College Fellows are Fellows of the Royal Society and 145 Emeritus
and Honorary College Fellows are also Fellows of the British Academy.

The University of Oxford has more academic staff working in world-class
research departments (rated 5* or 5 in the RAE 2001) than any other UK
university.

Students

The University of Oxford's total student population numbers
just over 16,500 (students in residence, 2000-2001).

Almost a quarter of these students are from overseas.

More than 130 nationalities are represented among our student
body.

Almost 5,000 students are engaged in postgraduate work. Of
these, around 3,000 are working in the arts and humanities.

Every year more than 16,500 people take part in courses offered
by the University's Department for Continuing Education.

Latest figures show that only 5.5 per cent of Oxford graduates
were unemployed six months after graduation, compared with the national sector
average of over 6 per cent.

Oxford has a higher number of first degree graduates (36%)
entering further training than the national average (20%).

Our students and staff are currently involved in over 55
initiatives, including visits to more than 3,700 schools and colleges, to
encourage the brightest and best students to apply to Oxford, whatever their
background.

Studying at
Oxford

Graduate
study at Oxford

Across both the Arts and the Sciences, Oxford research is
consistently in the top rank both nationally and internationally. As well as
being in the forefront of scientific, medical and technological achievement,
the University has strong links with research institutions and industrial
concerns both in the United Kingdom and overseas. The University's income from
externally funded research grants and contracts in 2000-1 totalled over
£142-4 million. The University's great age also allows its teaching staff
and research students to draw on a heritage of magnificent library and museum
collections.

In all these fields, Oxford attracts scholars from many parts
of the world to join its teaching and research staff, and values also the
important role of overseas graduate students (approximately one quarter of the
total graduate body) in providing intellectual stimulation and creating and
maintaining academic links with colleagues abroad. A hundred countries are at
present represented in this way.

The development of graduate studies has largely taken place in
the 20th century and in the last 30 years seven new graduate colleges have been
set up. However, most graduate students still belong to a traditional
undergraduate college where their presence is valuable to teachers and
undergraduates alike.

Graduate
courses

The University offers a wide range of taught graduate courses
and research degrees, ranging from one to three or more years in length. While
the Master of Studies (MSt) degree is awarded after examination at the end of
three terms' work, three or more years are normally required to complete a
thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

For all diplomas and degrees, except the few offered as
part-time courses, students must spend a period in residence - which means
postgraduate students live in term time within 25 miles of Oxford. There are no
external degrees and there are only a few part-time courses in specific
subjects. The minimum period of residence for most diplomas or the degrees of
MSc or MSt is three terms. The minimum period of residence for the degrees of
MPhil (BPhil in Philosophy), MLitt, or DPhil is normally six terms.

The academic year runs from October to September and is divided
into three terms, Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity, and three vacations. The
dates of Full Terms, eight-week periods during which lectures and other
instruction are given, are as follows for the next two years:

The graduate, however, unlike the undergraduate, will normally
be in residence for most of the year. In many departments formal lectures,
seminars and classes for graduates continue into the vacations.

Teaching & Research

In 2002, Oxford University claimed first place in the annual Times
Good University Guide, which ranks universities according to the quality
of teaching and research, as well as indicators including staffing levels,
facilities spending and graduate destinations.

In the Financial Times 2002 MBA ranking, the Saïd
Business School's one-year MBA course received the highest rating for value for
money of all the international schools surveyed.

In 2002, Oxford University topped the annual league table of
teacher training providers for the fifth successive year.

Oxford University was named the UK's most innovative University
in the Launchit2001 competition, in recognition of the greatest achievements in
innovation and enterprise across the broadest range of activity.

In the academic year 2000-2001, Oxford's overall research
income from external sponsors rose by 10 per cent for the second successive
year, reaching £142.4 million.

In the most recent national Teaching Quality Assessment
exercises for 2000, Oxford was awarded top marks in six out of ten subjects
assessed.

Oxford, Stanford and Yale Universities have recently become
partners in a joint 'distance learning' venture, the Alliance for Lifelong
Learning, which will provide on-line courses in the arts and sciences initially
to their combined 500,000 alumni.

The University of Oxford has more academic staff working in
world-class research departments (rated 5* or 5 in the RAE 2001) than any other
UK university.

Oxford has recently received its fourth Queen's Anniversary
Prize, in recognition of the Refugee Studies Centre's contribution to the study
of forced migration and refugees.

Isis Innovation, the University's technology transfer company,
files on average one new patent application a week and spins out a new company
from University research every two months.

Oxford has spun out more companies than any other UK
university. Our spin-out companies are collectively worth around £2
billion, and have helped produce some 30 multi-millionaires.

Oxford is the UK pioneer in developing a university
intellectual property policy.

Latest research: Revolutionary
new test to help eliminate tuberculosis

3 December 2002

A revolutionary new test for identifying people infected with
tuberculosis (TB), one of the leading causes of death worldwide, will shortly
be launched by Oxford Immunotec Ltd, a new Oxford University spin-off company.
The test radically improves the speed and accuracy with which the disease can
be identified. It has been developed to replace the existing skin test for TB,
which is given to 600,000 UK schoolchildren every year.

Oxford Immunotec's test has come from discoveries made over the
last seven years at the University of Oxford by Dr Ajit Lalvani and
collaborators at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital.
A replacement for the 100-year-old skin test is long overdue but, until now,
there has not been a better way of diagnosing infection.

The Oxford Immunotec test is based on patented technology which
provides a simple and extremely accurate way of studying a person's cellular
immune response to an infection. Every time someone becomes infected with a
disease, the body produces specific cells (white blood cells) to fight the
infection. The new test looks to see if the body has produced these cells in
response to TB and monitors how their numbers change over time. In this way, it
is possible to determine if a person is infected and whether they are
effectively fighting the infection. This powerful technique can be used not only
for diagnosis of infections, but also for prognosis of disease and monitoring
of treatment.

Crucially, the Oxford Immunotec test will also make it possible
to accurately identify people who are carrying TB infection, but who have not
yet gone on to develop disease. Diagnosing and treating infected people before
they go on to develop severe disease and infect others is essential to prevent
the spread of TB and save lives. TB kills between two and three million people
each year, and the death toll is increasing. TB in the UK has risen almost
every year for the last 15 years, with 6,500 newly diagnosed cases each year.

Since 1998, Dr Lalvani has used this rapid blood test in double
blinded, randomised studies to prove its effectiveness in over 2,000 TB patients
and healthy controls in eight different countries. These studies demonstrate
that the new test is a radical improvement on the current skin test, and that,
unlike the skin test, it works well in people with weaker immune systems, such
as children, the elderly and those immunosuppressed with diseases like HIV.

Dr Peter Wrighton-Smith, CEO of Oxford Immunotec, said: 'We are
extremely excited about this new test which we believe will revolutionise TB
control. This test is needed as never before because TB is resurging in the
developed world and already parts of the UK have TB rates as high as India. The
huge amount of clinical data gathered to date proves this technology works and
we are already looking to apply it to other diseases where the cellular immune
response is critical, such as HIV, Hepatitis C and Cancer.'

Life in
Oxford

The
city of Oxford

Oxford lies about 57 miles (90km) north-west of London. A
medium-sized city with a large student population, Oxford has a lively and
cosmopolitan atmosphere, with excellent cultural, leisure, sport and retail
amenities.

Oxford's historic architecture is well renowned. Amongst its
beautiful buildings and modern facilities are parks, gardens and waterways. In
addition to those offered by the University, the city of Oxford has its own
cultural facilities, including the Museum of Oxford and the Museum of Modern
Art. Drama productions are performed at, amongst others, the Oxford Playhouse,
and the Apollo Theatre, and there are several cinemas. Sports fans enjoy county
cricket in the University Parks and third-division football at Oxford United,
as well as punting, swimming, and ice-skating in the city centre.

There is heavy traffic in Oxford, and much of the city centre
is now closed to private traffic. Fortunately, most of the University area can
be comfortably covered on foot or bicycle. Secondhand bicycles can be hired or
bought and local bus services are excellent.

Oxford is also well served by national road and rail links. A
direct 24-hour coach service connects the city with London, and with Heathrow
and Gatwick airports.

The city and surrounding area are home to various industries
including a growing number of high-technology companies in areas such as IT and
biosciences, which have developed from University research or are attracted by
the proximity of the University. Oxford is also a major tourist centre.

Music

Students at Oxford enjoy a wealth of opportunity to involve
themselves in music, as listeners and performers, and at all levels. At the top
end the University boasts student orchestras of professional calibre (notably
the Oxford University Orchestra and the Philharmonia), and choirs of renown
(Christ Church, Magdalen and New College, along with the Schola Cantorum).

Other levels of accomplishment are catered for by college music
societies, many of which run ambitious programmes of chamber, orchestral and
vocal music. Opera is represented by at least two University-based
organizations. Other organizations within the University cater for almost every
other conceivable interest, from Soul to Jazz, from Indian to contemporary.

Oxford plays host to musicians from far and wide, including
opera companies from Glynbourne and Cardiff, and orchestras of distinction such
as the CBSO and the orchestra of St John's Smith Square. And if you feel there
is something missing, Oxford is the ideal place to do your own thing with the
unlimited musical talent the University has at its disposal.

Sports

The University provides a spring-board for sportsmen and women
to achieve at county, national and international level, partly because of
excellent sporting facilities at college and University level. The majority of
colleges provide sports grounds, squash courts and boat houses on the river Isis
for the annual inter-college rowing competition, 'Eights'.

The University provides generous sporting facilities in all
areas including sports not normally available at college level, such as
volleyball, athletics, fencing and judo. Many of these facilities are located
at the Iffley Road Sports Complex, which also boasts a modern multi-gym, an
all-weather track, and a newly-opened artificial hockey pitch. Association
football, lawn tennis and rugby are also catered for at this site, along with a
rowing tank and gymnasium. A 25-metre swimming pool should be completed soon.

Sources of
Knowledge

Bodleian
Library

The Bodleian Library is the principal library of the
University, taking its name from Sir Thomas Bodley who refounded it on the site
of an earlier library. It was opened in 1602 and has an unbroken history from
that time. When publishing and copyright became subject to statute the Bodleian
became, and remains, one of the libraries of legal deposit. Material published
elsewhere than in Great Britain and Ireland is extensively acquired, mainly by
purchase.

The Library's collections are housed in several buildings. The
central group consists of the Old Library, the Radcliffe Camera, the New
Library, and the Clarendon Building. A large part of the Library's holdings of
some seven million volumes is housed in the bookstacks of the New Library.
Reading rooms on the central site contain on open access selected material on
English language and literature, history, theology, classics, bibliography,
education, music, geography, philosophy, politics and economics, management
studies, Latin American studies and Slavonic and East European studies. Western
manuscripts and early printed books are normally consulted in Duke Humfrey's
Library within the Old Library, and the Modern Papers reading room in the New
Library. Oriental books and manuscripts are consulted in the Oriental Reading
Room.

Books on science and medicine, law, South Asian studies,
Japanese studies, the Middle East and China (teaching and loan collection) and
Eastern Art, and American and Commonwealth history, are kept in other libraries
within the group, described separately below.

The majority of printed accessions are listed in the OLIS
online catalogue, which may be consulted on terminals throughout the Bodleian.
Terminals in all reading rooms in the Bodleian may be used to connect to OxLIP,
a range of electronic resources, bibliographic and full-text, in all subject
areas, mounted both on the local network and on remote computers. These
resources are also available from other workstations connected to the
University network in colleges, faculties and departments. Workstations also
give access to the Bodleian catalogue of pre-1920 books, both via OLIS and on
CD ROM. The Chinese and Japanese catalogues are partially recorded in original
script on the Allegro system and may be accessed via the network or the
Internet. Work on converting the card catalogues is well advanced.

Students formally registered with the University are entitled
to readership upon complying with certain formalities; arrangements will be
made through their colleges. The central Bodleian is not a lending library, nor
are readers in general admitted to the bookstacks. There are facilities for
reading microform material, and photographic and photocopying services. Readers
may use their own laptop computers.

More detailed information about the Library as a whole may be
found in A general guide to the Bodleian Library and its dependent libraries,
and about the Central Bodleian in Guide to the Central Bodleian Library. Both
are obtainable free at the Library and in PDF format from the Library's web
pages.

Museum
of the History of Science

The Museum of the History of Science, housed in the Old
Ashmolean Building in Broad Street, is primarily a museum of scientific
instruments of historical interest. The very fine building was erected by the
University to house the collections of Elias Ashmole (1617-92), and to serve
for lectures in natural philosophy and as a chemical laboratory; it was opened
in 1683. The Ashmolean Museum (now in Beaumont Street) remained in the building
until the end of the 19th century. The building became a museum again in 1925,
after the Lewis Evans Collection was accepted by the University and placed in
the upper gallery; in 1935 the scientific collections had so increased in size
and scope that the name was changed to the Museum of the History of Science.

Substantial donations, loans, and purchases have continued to
augment the collections, which comprise:

1. The Lewis Evans and Billmeir collections of mathematical,
time-telling, and surveying instruments, including a remarkable collection of
armillary spheres, astrolabes, quadrants, and sundials, dating from the
medieval period to the 19th century

2. The Barnett and Beeson collections of clocks and watches, especially rich in
clocks and watches made by Oxfordshire craftsmen

3. Astronomical instruments derived from the Savilian and Radcliffe
Observatories, from the Royal Astronomical Society, and other sources, including
exceptionally interesting instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries

4. The Clay collection of optical instruments, which includes many early
microscopes, the Royal Microscopical Society's collection of early microscopes,
and a large collection of telescopes and other optical instruments

Beyond these discrete collections, the Museum contains a wealth
of apparatus and instruments covering a broad spectrum of the history of
science. Its collections are especially strong from the medieval period until
the early 19th century.

The Museum has recently undergone major refurbishment, with new
displays, and, in the basement, a special exhibitions gallery, education room,
public toilets, and library. The basement area is entirely accessible for
wheelchair users, and is reached by a lift in the Sheldonian Yard. An MSc
course in History of Science: Instruments, Museums, Science, Technology is
taught within the Museum by the curatorial staff.

The Museum is open to the public, from 12 noon to 4.00 pm,
Tuesday to Saturday, throughout the year, except for Bank Holidays, and for
about a week after Christmas. The library may be used, on application, by
students and others engaged in research. It is open regularly to the Museum's
own graduate students.

Table of Contents:

1. A Brief History of the Oxford University

2. Structure of the University

2.1 Staff

            2.2 Students

3. Studying at Oxford

3.1
Graduate study at Oxford

3.2
Graduate courses

4. Teaching & Research

4.1 Latest research

5. Life in Oxford

5.1
The city of Oxford

5.2
Music

5.3
Sports

6. Sources of Knowledge

6.1
Bodleian Library

6.2
Museum of the History of Science