Higher education in uk

There are 116 universities in the UK. They operate under Royal Charters or, in a few cases, under Act of Parliament, and enjoy complete academic freedom: they decide which students to admit, what and how to teach, what degrees to award and on what conditions. The UK Universities are independent, autonomous, self-governing institutions. The Government is responsible for providing Universities' income, but it does not control their work or teaching.

A university consists of a number of faculties which may include divinity, medicine, arts (philosophy), law, music, natural sciences, economics, engineering, agriculture, commerce and education.

Students at universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland Usually spend three years of study, leading to a Bachelor degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. There are some four-year courses, especially for those studying languages, and medical and – veterinary courses normally require five or six years. A full-time first degree in Scotland generally takes four years for Honours and three years for the broad-based Ordinary degree.

The oldest and the most famous universities in England are Oxford and Cambridge. They date from the 12th-13th centuries, whereas the Scottish Universities of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh date from the 15th-16th centuries. All the other universities in the UK were founded in the 19th and 20th centuries.

University teaching combines lectures, practical classes and small group teaching in either seminars or tutorials. Each student goes to his tutor's room once a week to read and discuss an essay which the student has prepared. With the growth of the Internet, many UK universities and colleges now often study through distance learning. This usually means learning at home or work, with no need to visit the learning centre. Distance learning courses are available at many levels, including degree and postgraduate qualifications.

Science in the uk

There are numerous technical institutions, professional associations and learned societies in Britain which play an important role in the promotion of science and technology through meetings, publications and sponsorship.

As a rule pure research is conducted in the universities which maintain the supply of trained specialists. The research carried out there is financed from resources of higher education funding councils. Basic and strategic research in higher education institutions are also financed by the Research Councils. The other main channels of support of scientific research in the universities are industry, charities, government departments and the European Union.

Science parks are partnerships between higher education institutions or research centres and industry to promote commercially focused research and advanced technology. The UK Science Park Association numbers 106 such initiatives. The majority are engaged in computing, biotechnology, chemicals, electrical engineering and robotics. Technology transfer and R&D are the most common activities.

The traditional method of scientific publications, in which results are written in papers and published in journals, is still the main means of communication among scientists. The most eminent of the learned societies are: the Royal Society, the UK's academy of sciences. The Society has three roles: as the national academy of sciences, as a learned society and as a funding agency for scientific community. It offers independent advice to government on science matters, acts as an international forum for discussion of ground-breaking scientific research, supports many of the best young scientists and engineers in the UK, facilitates dialogue between scientists and the public, and promotes science education. Fellows of the Society included the most illustrious British scientists – Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Ernest Rutherford, Michael Faraday, James Maxwell and many prominent scientists of the world.

The Royal Academy of Engineering promotes excellence in engineering for the benefit of society, and advises government, Parliament and other official organisations. Three other major institutions publicise scientific developments by means of lectures and publications for specialists and schoolchildren. Of these, the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Society of Arts, the Royal Institution.