Cambridge University has a reputation for outstanding academic achievement and is currently second in the 2009 TES-QS World University Rankings. The School of Clinical Medicine, which consists of 12 departments and three Institutes, is based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and is one of the UK’s leading Medical Schools. Its strength is built on close relationships with pre-clinical science on the one hand; and on translational partnerships with NHS organisations on the other. In April 2009 the Department of Health designated the University and its three local NHS partners, working together under the banner of ‘Cambridge University Health Partners’ as an Academic Health Science Centre.
Founders
King’s College is one of London’s oldest universities: a multi-faculty research-led university college based in the centre of London. It is ranked as one of the world’s top 25 universities. It has over 21,000 students and is the largest centre for the education of doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals in Europe. Its main healthcare schools include Biomedical and Health Sciences, Dental Institute, Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry and the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Founded in 1907, Imperial College London is a science-based institution that is ranked equal fifth in the world in the THE-QS 2009 World University Rankings. The Faculty of Medicine is one of Europe’s largest in terms of staff and student population, and in 2008 and 2009 it had the highest research volume in the UK. In October 2007, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust formed the Academic Health Science Centre, a unique kind of partnership that aims to improve the quality of life of patients and populations by taking new discoveries and translating them into new therapies as quickly as possible.
Oxford University is one of the world’s leading universities and is currently ranked equal 5th in the THE-QS 2009 World University Rankings. It is also one of the oldest universities; teaching existed in Oxford from 1096. During the 20th and 21st centuries Oxford enhanced its role as an international focus for learning by establishing a major new research capacity in natural and applied sciences, including medicine. There are over 20,000 students at Oxford, of which 39.2% are studying for a degree in medical, mathematical, physical and life sciences.
University College London has a rich history spanning 180 years. Today it has 22,000 students and is ranked 4th in the world. It specialises in biomedical science, interacting with eleven leading London hospitals. University publications in clinical medicine attract more citations than any other university outside of North America. The university is focused on the translation of medical research into solutions for current healthcare problems such as development of an HIV vaccine, the use of stem cells in heart disease, blindness and spinal cord repair.
