Newcastle University
| The Sunday Times 'University of the Year' 2000-2001, Newcastle provides
excellent teaching supported by strength and breadth in research. It is
situated in an attractive campus in the centre of a lively and cosmopolitan
city, recently dubbed ‘The New Capital of Britain’ by The
Times, with a Charter-marked, award-winning library and a range of other
outstanding facilities. As would be expected of such a long-established
University, the range and standard of our facility provision is outstanding.
History
The University has its origins in the School of Medicine and Surgery which was established in Newcastle in October 1834, providing basic lectures and practical demonstrations to around 26 students. In June 1851, following a dispute amongst the teaching staff, the School was split into two rival institutions: the majority forming the Newcastle College of Medicine, with the others establishing themselves as the Newcastle upon Tyne College of Medicine and Practical Science. By 1852 the majority college was formally linked to the University of Durham and its teaching certificates were recognized by the University of London for graduation in medicine. The two colleges amalgamated in 1857 and renamed the University of Durham College of Medicine in 1870.
Attempts to realise a place for the teaching of sciences in the city were finally met with the foundation of the College of Physical Science in 1871. The college offered instruction in mathematics, physics, chemistry and geology to meet the growing needs of the mining industry, becoming the Durham College of Physical Science in 1883 and then renamed Armstrong College in 1904.
Throughout the early 20th century, the medical and science colleges vastly outpaced the growth of their Durham counterparts and a Royal Commission in 1934 recommended the merger of the two colleges to form King's College, Durham.
Growth of the Newcastle Division of the federal Durham University led to tensions within the structure and in 1963 an Act of Parliament separated the two, creating the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and leaving Durham as an 'Oxbridge'-style collegiate university.
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Today
The university occupies a campus site close to central Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located to the northwest of the city centre between the open spaces of Leazes Park and the Town Moor.
The University has a core population of 17,784 students (2005-2006), including more than 2,000 overseas students from over 100 countries.
The current Chancellor is Chris Patten, former Chairman of the Conservative Party and European Commissioner for External Affairs (1999-2004). He is also Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
Newcastle was the only UK university to formally back the Jubilee Debt Campaign for the cancellation of debt in poor countries, and it has a strong ongoing commitment to the Make Poverty History campaign. At a recent high-profile honorary degree ceremony in January 2007, the University awarded honorary degrees to Bob Geldof, Gordon Brown MP, and Benjamin Mkapa (former president of Tanzania) among others, at an event which promoted debate on current debt-relief issues.
In 2006, the University was granted Fair trade status, and from January 2007, it became a smoke-free campus.
Web: http://www.ncl.ac.uk
Address: Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
Telephone: (0191) 222 6000
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