University of Aberdeen, UK

In 1495 as the voyages of Columbus were opening up the new world and the ‘new learning’ of the renaissance was inspiring Europe, William Elphinstone established King’s College in the town of Old Aberdeen, laying the foundations of the University of Aberdeen

Founded way back in 1495, over the past five centuries University of Aberdeen (UoA), sited in the eponymous Scottish city, has built itself an enviable reputation for teaching and research excellence particularly in the medical and physical sciences. Ranked among the best 150 in THE-QS World University Rankings 2009, in the recent Research Assessment Exercise of the British government, ten UoA departments received the highest rating of 5 and 19 others received a 4 rating. Currently, the university’s three colleges — arts and social sciences; life sciences and medicine; physical sciences — offer over 740 undergraduate and postgrad degree programmes to 16,000 students.

“For over five centuries this university has been dedicated to expanding the pool of knowledge and the creation of ideas through excellence in scholarship. The combination of our rich academic heritage and our glorious medieval campus in Old Aberdeen make the university one of Scotland’s great institutions,” says Prof. Ian Diamond, principal and vice chancellor of this 515-year-old university which has produced five Nobel laureates.

UoA has an interesting history. In 1495, as the voyages of Columbus were opening up the New World and the ‘new learning’ of the Renaissance was inspiring Europe, William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen, established King’s College in the town of Old Aberdeen, laying the foundations of the University of Aberdeen. Modelled on the universities of Paris and Bologna, it embraced every known branch of learning with faculties of arts, theology and canon and civil law. In 1497 the earliest chair of medicine in the English-speaking world was established at UoA.

The Scottish Reformation of 1560 brought in its wake new ideas about higher education and the establishment of Aberdeen’s second university by George Keith, fourth Earl Marischal, in 1593. The two universities were finally united under the Universities (Scot-land) Act of 1858 and the new University of Aberdeen came into being in 1860. Arts and divinity were taught at the King’s College and law and medicine at Marischal. Further changes under an Act of 1889 led to the creation of a science faculty and the admission of women in 1894.

Aberdeen. Nestling on the coast at the confluence of the rivers Dee and Don, Aberdeen (pop.220,000) is Scotland’s third largest city and Europe’s energy capital. Renowned for its splendid granite architecture, it sparkles on the edge of the North Sea, bordered by cultivated farmland, wild moors, scenic beaches and rugged hills. Its buoyant economy is the result of diverse commercial activities including trade, tourism, farming and fishing. In recent times, it has become a hub of the world’s offshore energy network as the administrative and technical centre of the oil-fields of the North Sea.

With a student population of over 40,000, Aberdeen caters to diverse cultural, leisure and entertainment tastes. A magnificent Edwardian theatre routinely attracts international comp-anies offering ballet, theatre, opera and light entertainment, while other concert halls feature classical, contemporary and rock concerts. Exceptional museums and art galleries display the visual arts, local heritage and visiting exhibitions.
Getting about is easy in Aberdeen which has excellent bus services, and rail, road and air link Aberdeen with other British cities — flying time to London is just over an hour. The weather is mostly cold and dry through the year with summer temperatures averaging between 9°C- 20 °C and winter between 0 °C to 6 °C.

Campus facilities. Spread across 35 hectares, the university’s King’s College campus is where ancient neo-Gothic buildings are interspersed with modern, newly refurbished laboratories and world-class computing facilities. The Crown Tower and Chapel, the oldest structures of the campus, date to circa 1,500 AD. A second campus in the West End of Aberdeen at Foresterhill houses the university’s medical school, library and associated buildings. UoA’s third campus — Marischal College, a stately neo-Gothic building — has been leased to the Aberdeen City Council and all teaching has been moved to the King’s and Foresterhill locations.

The Queen Mother Library (arts, science, education and social sciences) on the King’s College campus offers nearly 700 study seats. In addition the Special Libraries and Archives hold over 200,000 volumes printed mostly before 1840, and 4,000 archive and manuscript collections. The Medical Library on the Foresterhill campus covers the medical sciences discipline, while the Reid Library at the Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health focuses on nutrition. The libraries together stock over 1 million volumes in addition to ancient papyri and archives.

The newly inaugurated Olympic-standard Sports Village hosts a full size indoor football ground; indoor athletics area; large sports hall; four squash courts; large fitness suite and performance gymnasium; two studios; a 400 metre outdoor athletics track and stadium; floodlit water-based hockey pitch; performance and well-being centre; and a crèche, café and spectator seating.

Admission. All applications for entry into undergraduate degrees at the University of Aberdeen — as to other UK universities — have to be made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Students can apply online on www.ucas.com. The university’s UCAS code is A20. Completed applications must be submitted to UCAS together with an applicant’s fee of £17 (Rs.1,156) before January 15, 2011 for term beginning in September 2011. The minimum eligibility criteria for undergraduate study are successful completion of Plus Two and English language proficiency (TOEFL and IELTS scores are generally acceptable). However for postgraduate study, applications must be made directly to the university.

For further information contact Student Recruitment & Admissions Service, University Office, King’s College Aberdeen, AB24 3FX Scotland, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1224-272090/272091; Fax: +44 (0)1224-272576; e-mail: sras@abdn. ac.uk; website: www.abdn.ac.uk.

Accommodation. Students have a choice of university-managed halls and privately-owned and managed housing, all situated within easy walking distance of campus. The university-managed accommodation houses 2,100 students and all new students are guaranteed a place. The halls of residence are a mixture of individual rooms within houses or flats, available on a catered and self catered basis. All university halls of residence have full wireless internet access.

Students who wish to live off-campus can choose from a wide range of alternative accommodation in the city. Lodgings are available in all parts of Aberdeen and the Student Association provides a list of solicitors and estate agents on request.

Degree programmes. The university’s three colleges — arts and social sciences, life sciences and medicine, physical sciences — offer over 600 bachelor’s degree programmes and more than 140 Masters programmes (see box).

Summiya Yasmeen