Oxford University

The exact date of the founding of the University of Oxford is unknown, but education at Oxford was already conducted in 1096 ^[2] . The expulsion of foreigners from the University of Paris in 1167 (as a result of the reform of Henry II Plantagenet , he forbade English students to study at the Sorbonne ) forced many English students to leave France and settle in Oxford. Historian Gerard Wales lectured students in 1188, and the first mention of foreign students was in 1190, the first foreign student on the documents was “Emo of Friesland”. The head of the university was (and is to this day) the chancellor. Non-British British students were divided into northern ( Scots ) and southern ( Irish and Welsh ). In subsequent centuries, geographical affiliation continued to affect many students when friendship between colleges or dormitories became a habit. Members of many monastic orders — Dominicans , Franciscans , Carmelites , Augustinians — settled in Oxford in the middle of the 13th century; they influenced and supported student houses. At about the same time, colleges were established by private philanthropists as independent student communities to live on. Among the first were William Durham, who founded University College (Oxford) ( Eng. University College ) in 1249, and John I de Balliol, father of the future King of Scotland , after whom Balliol College (named after Balliol College ) was named. English Lord Chancellor and Founder of Merton College ( born Merton College ) Walter de Merton has developed rules for colleges. Merton College has become a model for other colleges at Oxford and Cambridge . After that, many students left their lives in dormitories and religious homes and moved to colleges.

In 1333–1334, several disgruntled scientists from Oxford tried to establish a new university in Stamford (Lincolnshire) ^[4] . Protests addressed to King Edward III began to come from Oxford and Cambridge, and he prohibited its creation ^[5] - until the 1820s. in England it was not allowed to create new universities, even in London, and Oxford and Cambridge maintained a monopoly.

If, over time, members of high society passed through Oxford almost without fail, then in the Middle Ages this was still far away. Only priests were trained there, they rented rooms from local residents and were often poor.

In 1879, Somerville College became one of two new educational institutions created simultaneously at Oxford to educate women: Lady Margaret Hall was influenced by the Church of England , and the second Somerville was nonreligious, and in 1920 his degrees were recognized as an Oxford University.

In October-November, before the planned start of the year of study, applicants submit applications to colleges. A special commission reviews assessments (only excellent, A-level), letters of recommendation, conducts interviews. In some cases, a future student may be asked to show his written work, to conduct his own written tests. (School examinations in the UK are standardized and are not conducted by schools, but by accredited by the state). Since university places are offered before the majority of applicants finish school exams, students are usually accepted with the condition that their marks for the beginning of the school year will not be less than the stipulated score ( conditional offer ). It is also necessary to know English as well as an Englishman (according to IELTS certificates - 7.0, TOEFL- Internet - 110) ^[6] . Tuition is paid: living expenses per year - about 8 thousand pounds; tuition fee depends on the chosen specialty - humanities - 6,300 pounds; exact sciences - 8400 pounds, medicine - 15400 pounds. For admission to the master's and graduate school candidates apply to the relevant department.

It is not allowed to submit applications in the same year at the same time to Oxford and Cambridge universities.

The university consists of 38 colleges, and also 6 hostels - the closed educational institutions belonging to religious orders without the status of college ^[7] . Examinations, most lectures and laboratory classes are organized centrally, and colleges conduct individual lessons with students and seminars.

Now more than 20 thousand students study in Oxford ^[8] , about a quarter of them are foreign. Their number increases dramatically in the summer when summer language schools open. The rector of Oxford is Sir Chris Patten. Women in Oxford began to receive only in the 1920s, but already in the 1970s, separate training was canceled.

The staff of teachers at Oxford is huge - almost 4 thousand people, 70 of them are members of the Royal Society , more than 100 are members of the British Academy . Oxford uses a unique tutoring system in training - personal care is established for each student by a specialist in the chosen specialty.

The main areas of training for students are humanitarian, mathematical, physical, social sciences, medicine, life sciences and the environment.

Departments:

Oxford is not only a university, but also the largest research center, Oxford has more than a hundred libraries (the most extensive university library in England) and museums, and its own publishing house.

Students have the opportunity to devote a large amount of their time to leisure - more than 300 hobby groups are at their service. Traditionally, Oxford pays close attention to sport as a useful and prestigious form of recreation.

From the walls of Oxford came a whole galaxy of brilliant figures of science, literature and art - Christopher Rehn , John Tolkien , Lewis Carroll taught here, Roger Bacon and Margaret Thatcher studied. 25 British Prime Ministers graduated from Oxford.

• At the University of Oxford, in the Clarendon Laboratory, there is an electric bell that has been ringing continuously since 1840. It uses electrostatic attraction forces , so a very small amount of energy is spent to maintain work. Dry batteries for the bell were installed during its creation and hermetically sealed with molten sulfur, so no one knows exactly how they work. The instrument, which has been working for more than 175 years, is one of the longest continuous experiments in history ^[9] .
• Oxford University has influenced culture. The student’s costume is world famous, one of the attributes of which is the Oxford “bags” .

The very first college of Oxford University - University - was founded in 1249. Two other Oxford colleges claiming historic championship - Balliol (1260) and Merton College (1264) - are named after their creators: John Balliol was the father of John I - the future king of Scotland, and the founder of the second was Lord Chancellor Walter de Merton . Subsequently, about forty colleges were founded.

• List of oldest universities
• Oxford - Cambridge
• Oxford electric bell
• Cambridge university
• Oxbridge

• Oxford University // Oceanarium - Oyasio. - M .: The Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2014. - P. 49. - (The Great Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 t.] / Ed. Yu. S. Osipov ; 2004–2017, vol. 24). - ISBN 978-5-85270-361-3 .

• ox.ac.uk - Oxford University official website