University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge stands on the River Cam in the heart of Cambridgeshire. Founded in 1209 by scholars who left Oxford after a dispute, it is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. The university consists of 31 self-governing colleges and more than 150 departments, all organised into six schools. Undergraduate teaching relies on weekly small-group supervisions in the colleges, supported by lectures and seminars from the central faculties. Cambridge also operates eight museums and a botanic garden, while its 116 libraries hold around 16 million books. Cambridge has produced many notable figures across politics, science and the arts. Among its alumni are King Charles III, Stephen Hawking, Alan Turing and 15 British prime ministers. The university’s academics and affiliates have won 126 Nobel Prizes. In mathematics, the Mathematical Tripos examination has shaped the careers of scientists such as James Clerk Maxwell and Lord Kelvin. The university’s emphasis on applied mathematics lasted from Isaac Newton’s time until the mid-19th century. Visitors to Cambridge find a city of colleges, chapels and courts built over centuries. The Fitzwilliam Museum displays art and antiquities, while the Botanic Garden offers quiet walks among thousands of plant species. Along the Backs, college grounds stretch beside the River Cam, where punts glide beneath ancient bridges. Libraries such as the University Library hold millions of volumes, and college chapels still echo with centuries of choral music. The streets carry names like Garret Hostel Lane, reminders of medieval hostels absorbed into the colleges.