You are currently browsing the monthly archive for February 2009.
Charles Darwin (source www.nhm.ac.uk)
Most of London’s major museums are free, including the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum. But recently the Natural History Museum has been getting a lot of press attention because of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. The Museum is celebrating the anniversary with a special exhibition.
The Darwin exhibition celebrates his ideas and their impact on how we view the world today. It was Darwin’s revolutionary theory that changed our understanding of the world and the exhibition contains rare exhibits and chronicles his life’s work.
And from September 2009 Museum visitors and scientists can share the excitement of exploring, studying and preserving the natural world in the new Darwin Centre. This 8-storey, £78 million landmark building completes the Darwin Centre’s development, which is the most significant expansion at the Museum since it moved to South Kensington in 1881.
Remember, you can discover more London budget tips here.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
St George’s, University of London
St George’s, University of London
St George’s delivers outstanding medical and healthcare education, scoring 23 out of 24 in the last Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) inspection of medicine – higher than any London medical school. As well as one of the highest student satisfaction rates (according to the latest National Student Survey), St George’s also has the lowest drop-out rate in the country.
Sharing a site with one of the UK’s busiest hospitals gives St George’s students the chance to experience an impressively diverse range of cases at the sharp end of clinical practice. Interdisciplinary opportunities are offered by partnerships with Kingston University and Royal Holloway, with a strong focus on teamwork reflected in the joint courses for nursing, midwifery, radiography and paramedic science.
St George’s is ranked number two in the UK for the impact of its published research. It continues to be a leader in research in epidemiology, cell signalling, cardiovascular sciences and infection, in addition to its strengths in mental health, genetics and health and social care sciences. 29 percent of total income comes from research, placing St George’s higher than Cambridge University in HEFCE’s research income league table.
Quick facts:
- 3,800 students; nearly 400 academic staff; income of about £70 million.
- Over 35 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Diploma, Bachelor and Master levels.
- Notable alumni include the father of immunology and the man who discovered vaccination, Edward Jenner; and surgery pioneer, John Hunter.
Contact details
St George’s, University of London,
Cranmer Terrace
London, SW17 0RE
Tel: +44 (0)20 8672 9944
Web: www.sgul.ac.uk
**This profile is part of a series which forms a directory of London’s universities. You can read more university profiles here as they are published.**
The London International Youth Science Forum celebrates its 50th anniversary with the launch of brand new website www.liysf.org.uk and plans for its 2009 conference.
There are more than 120,000 students studying science related subjects in London's universities
Over 200 science students from 50 countries will travel to London between 29 July and 12 August 2009 to exchange ideas at the Forum. This year’s keynote speaker is Professor John Ellis, a physicist from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).
The theme for 2009 is ‘Science Serving Mankind’ and the conference will explore how science leads to the advancement of humanity. Leading scientists, dignitaries and industry pioneers will give lectures throughout the two weeks and participants have the opportunity to visit pioneering industrial sites, world-renowned scientific institutions and innovative research centres in London.
Kevin – www.studylondon.acuk
School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) is the only higher education institution in the UK specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. The School has the largest concentration of academics concerned with Asia, Africa and the Middle East of any university in the world.
Research work is on the pressing issues confronting two-thirds of humankind – democracy, development, human rights, identity, legal systems, poverty and social change. The Library has more than 1.2 million volumes and extensive electronic resources. It is the national library for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world.
Quick facts:
- About 4,000 students; over 300 academic staff; income of £47 million.
- A variety of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including foundation degrees, distance learning and flexible non-European language training courses.
- Notable alumni include Prime Minister of Mozambique, Luisa Diogo; politician, David Lammy MP; and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Contact details
School of Oriental and African Studies
Thornhaugh Street
Russell Square
London, WC1H 0XG
Tel: +44 (0)20 7637 2388
Email: study@soas.ac.uk
Web: www.soas.ac.uk
**This profile is part of a series which forms a directory of London’s universities. You can read more university profiles here as they are published.**
Sir James Dyson is famous for inventing the bagless vacuum cleaner (source: The James Dyson Foundation)
Royal College of Art (RCA) alumni Sir James Dyson has pledged £5m to the college for its new Battersea campus. The donation, which releases £1.6m of match-funding from the UK Government, is the biggest single donation the RCA has ever received.
The donation will pay for a new lecture theatre, gallery, conference centre and the creation of 40 business incubator units for recent graduates to use when the facility opens in 2012.
Sir James Dyson is one of the UK’s foremost inventors and the donation will come from his foundation, the James Dyson Foundation, which supports activities in the fields of science, engineering, medicine and education.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London is ranked in the Top 10 research-intensive universities in the UK and research income has risen by 35 percent in the last two years reflecting the College’s research-intensive mission.
The College has excellent graduate career opportunities, ranked 2nd in graduate employment statistics. The Careers Service offers students access to the largest and most comprehensive careers facility in Europe.
Quick facts:
- 7,500 students; nearly 700 academic staff; about £90 million income.
- Taught and postgraduate degrees in the Faculties of Science, Arts, and History & Social Sciences.
- Notable alumni include botanist and environmental activist Professor David Bellamy; international opera singer Dame Felicity Lott; and singer-songwriter KT Tunstall.
Contact details
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham
Surrey, TW20 0EX
Tel: +44 (0)1784 434 455
Email: enquiries@rhul.ac.uk
Web: www.rhul.ac.uk
**This profile is part of a series which forms a directory of London’s universities. You can read more university profiles here as they are published.**
Download edition five of insight magazine to get the latest news, courses and research from London’s universities.
Insight edition 5
Ever wondered what it takes to become a business leader or to make your own feature film? Maybe you dream of formulating the next big pharmaceutical breakthrough or perhaps you’d like to be a healthcare professional and help communities throughout the world? Read insight to get the stories behind the courses.
Remember you can also access the insight magazine archive for free. Previous feature articles include finance courses in London, the city’s wealth of music education, studying international relations in London, the digital and multimedia revolution, MBAs in London, stem cell research and much, much more.
Simon – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music (RCM) provides specialist musical education and the highest level of professional training for performers, conductors and composers.
Professional preparation is coordinated by the Woodhouse Centre, Europe’s first-ever dedicated music career development unit. This ensures RCM students and graduates are supported as their careers are launched.
RCM has a strong presence on the London cultural scene, through an extensive schedule of public performances and imaginative community programmes. The College also has a renowned orchestral programme with Bernard Haitink, Sir Roger Norrington, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Andrew Litton as regular visiting conductors.
Quick facts:
- 625 students; 320 staff; income of £16.5 million.
- The largest Junior Department in the UK leading to a full range of study programmes from BMus to Doctoral.
- Notable alumni include composers Benjamin Britten, Gustav Holst and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Contact details
Royal College of Music
Prince Consort Road
London, SW7 2BS
Tel: +44 (0)20 7589 3643
Email: info@rcm.ac.uk
Web: www.rcm.ac.uk
**This profile is part of a series which forms a directory of London’s universities. You can read more university profiles here as they are published.**
Video: Royal College of Music
The role of literature and the arts in exploring important social issues will be key themes underpinning the London School of Economics (LSE) literary festival, which will take place between Friday 27 February – Sunday 1 March 2009.
(source: LSE)
The Space for Thought literary weekend, which is free to attend, will include discussions on political satire and biography writing. There will also be a series of creative writing workshops with advice for writers on how to get published.
Several authors will be discussing their latest works such as Booker Prize winner, Ben Okri and Iain Sinclair, who will discuss his new book Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire and its focus on the landscape, history and people of East London.
Participants from outside the literary world include Antony Gormley, the internationally renowned sculptor. Anthony Giddens, former director of LSE and sociologist, will discuss the financial crisis, climate change and energy.
Ever since its foundation in 1895, the LSE has always been a laboratory of the social sciences making it a perfect home to explore the power of words.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university in art and design and has a reputation for excellence, both at national and international levels. The College has achieved the highest possible results in all recent government audits of learning and teaching and is one of only 10 top research-rated art and design higher education institutions in the UK.
New developments in the area of design, innovation and entrepreneurship include Design London, a £6 million initiative which brings together the expertise of the RCA in design and of Imperial College London in business, technology and engineering. The RCA has extremely strong connections with creative industries and the professional worlds of art and design. Numerous projects, prizes and award schemes are sponsored by industrial partners each year.
The annual Summer Show of final year student work is one of the main highlights of the UK art and design events calendar, attracting many potential patrons and employers. Over 92% of alumni are professionally active in art and design five years after graduation. The RCA has a vibrant multicultural international community which students find highly rewarding. Although the majority of students have a good first degree in a relevant subject, the RCA’s selection policy is based solely on a candidate’s creative ability and potential.
Quick facts:
- About 900 postgraduate students; nearly 100 academic staff; income £26 million p.a.
- Taught and research degree programmes at MA, MPhil and PhD levels offered by six schools of study.
- Notable alumni include artist David Hockney; architect David Adjaye; and inventor Sir James Dyson.
Contact details
Royal College of Art
Kensington Gore
London SW7 2EU
Tel: +44 (0)20 7590 4444
Email: admissions@rca.ac.uk
Web: www.rca.ac.uk
**This profile is part of a series which forms a directory of London’s universities. You can read more university profiles here as they are published.**
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