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Excellence at Reading
Past and present
The University was founded as a college through the auspices of Christ Church,
Oxford, in 1892. It was the only UK university to receive its charter between
the wars, in 1926, and has long enjoyed a reputation as a sound and
quintessential red brick institution on an exceptionally beautiful campus.
The University has strengths in most of the traditional subjects (History,
English, Physics, Chemistry, etc.) but also offers teaching in areas with few
national providers. Its Meteorology Department has been described by the former
head of the Met Office as the best in Western Europe; only one university can
rival it in Land Management and only two in Construction Management. The
International Securities Markets Association (ISMA) Centre is a new and unique
facility, in effect a business school for financial markets. The University,
through its School of Plant Sciences, is also closely involved with the renowned
Eden Project in Cornwall.
Now the largest of the old universities without a medical school, Reading is
moving in the direction of postgraduate medicine and has much medically-related
activity. The University boasts a Human Nutrition Unit, a
Centre for Primary Care and Public Health in partnership with NHS Trusts and a
joint College for Healthcare Studies, with the Royal Berkshire and Battle
Hospitals Trust. The School of Psychology has a clinical role and the
School of Health & Social Care has received national recognition for the quality
of its nurse training programme.
The Research Assessment Exercise
The quality of the research in UK universities is reviewed every five years in a
process called the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Each subject area is
assessed by a panel of academics in that subject from a wide range of
institutions, and is given a rating of 5*, 5, 4, 3a, 3b, 2 or 1. A grade of 3b
and above indicates research of national excellence in the majority of the
research activity submitted, with the top grades of 5 and 5* indicating that
research in that subject is judged to be of international excellence. The
University of Reading has an excellent record and the
results of the most recent RAE were published in December 2001. The
majority of our staff are employed in Schools and Departments that received 5 or
5* ratings.
Institutional Audit
Institutional policies and procedures relating to teaching and learning are
reviewed by teams of academic staff appointed by the Quality Assurance Agency
for Higher Education (QAA). Since 2002, the QAA has moved to a methodology of
Institutional Audit to review the quality and standards of all taught and
research degree programmes, replacing the old system of Teaching Quality
Assessment/Subject Review.
The University of Reading underwent Institutional Audit during the course of
2004 and was very pleased with the outcome, detailed in a Report published on
the QAA website at:
www.qaa.ac.uk/revreps/instrev/reading2004/RG073UniofReading.pdf . The Report
identified a range of positive aspects, including:
- The links that our Schools and departments have with industry,
professional bodies and practice which are used to inform the curriculum,
assist student employability and support research;
- The positive light in which students saw the academic support and guidance
that they received;
- Student induction, particularly the International Student’s Welcome Week.
Academic Excellence
The University of Reading is known nationally and internationally for the
quality of its research. Because of its long-standing and deeply rooted
involvement with the research aspirations of numerous other countries, it has
many international alumni who retain their links with the University and help
maintain an international focus to our research.
Our reputation as one of the 20 most research-powerful universities in the UK is
based on the excellence of our academics and students, and the facilities
available to them. Examples of achievements contributing to our reputation
include:
- 20 units awarded the maximum 5 or 5* in the most recent Research Assessment
Exercise, across the breadth of the life, physical, and social sciences, and
arts and humanities
- Annual research funding in excess of £45 million, of which £25 million is from
externally-won grants and contracts
- the University’s role as home to three major NERC research units leading to
unrivalled expertise in meteorology and earth systems science. The NERC Centre
for Atmospheric Science brings together the Centre for Global Atmospheric
Modelling and the Universities Weather Research Network, and will co-ordinate
key environmental issues such as climate change, extreme weather, ozone and
air pollution in urban areas
- almost 80 per cent of academic staff located in departments awarded grade 4, 5
or 5* in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise
- winning the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 1999 for our work on Renaissance texts
with the Globe Theatre
- being a major beneficiary of funding during 2001 for
e-science projects in environmental sciences and plant taxonomy
- Investment in new research facilities such as a BioCentre for post-genomic
research in the life and physical sciences, a Brain, Behaviour, and health Research Centre for
psychology, and a new building for our expanding research in meteorology
- our network of Associated Institutes allowing ready exchange of staff and
student research interests with research institutes and company research
laboratories.
Relevance
Research at The University of Reading has always been allied to practice as well
as to the advancement of knowledge and scholarship. Funding for our research
comes from a very broad base including the Research Councils, Government
departments, the European Union, and industry. An indication of our interactions
with users of our research is outlined below.
- The University gains over 10 per cent of its research funding directly
from industry
- The University houses the largest TCS Centre in the UK providing graduates
and staff assistance to businesses from a wide range of academic disciplines
- The Science and Technology Centre on campus houses some 15 medium sized
businesses with substantial links to academic departments
- Our new Enterprise Hub will provide facilities on campus for new start-up
companies
- The University has long-standing interactions with many businesses
especially in the Agriculture and Food industries, and the Construction
industry. This is manifested in such organisations as Food Industry Training
Reading and the Reading Construction Forum
- Our success at winning funds competitively have allowed us to establish a
Business Development Team with specialist officers in life sciences,
environment, information and communication technologies, and general business
to further develop interactions with local businesses
- The University receives funding from the University Challenge Fund and
elsewhere that will assist in the transfer of technologies to the wider
community and fund the spin out of businesses
- Our interactions with local NHS Trusts is increasing through the provision
of Health Research Fellowships, the formation of the Centre for Primary Care
and Public Health, and the planned expansion of health-related training and
research
Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science at Reading covers a unique, diverse range of subjects.
This diversity gives you the opportunity to study across subject boundaries. For
example, having Archaeology and Meteorology in the Faculty could allow you to
study how past climates influenced human nutrition in Britain 2000 years ago!
The Faculty comprises five Schools: Chemistry – A particular strength of the
School of Chemistry is the close collaboration between members of staff having
complementary expertise. As a result, the School has developed as a close-knit,
vibrant scientific community which provides an exciting and challenging
environment for postgraduate students. Research involves many different topics
and ranges from very fundamental studies, e.g. in spectroscopy and computational
chemistry, to applied research, e.g. the synthesis of new drugs or novel
inorganic materials. The School's research is organised into six overlapping
groups: Chemistry at the Biological Interface, Spectroscopy and Atmospheric
Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Structural and Computational Chemistry, Surface
Science and Catalysis, and Synthesis.
Construction Management and Engineering – The School of Construction Management
and Engineering has established an international reputation for its academic and
commercial research into many aspects of the construction and engineering
industry. It is one of the largest University Departments in the world dealing
with management in the built environment. The School’s research is grouped into
four broad divisions: Sustainable urban environments, Inclusive environments,
Sustainable technologies and Construction management. Each division has within
it a core team of academic staff and researchers to provide a dynamic and
challenging research environment.
Human and Environmental Sciences – By combining the disciplines of archaeology,
geography, soil science, and geoscience within a single academic entity the
School of Human and Environmental Sciences provides a unique suite of research
and learning opportunities. Research in the School analyses the interaction of
human and physical environments across a range of temporal and spatial scales,
encompassing the natural, built and social worlds. Research within the School is
carried out within 11 inter-departmental research groups and includes those in:
Aquatic Environments, Soils and Environmental Systems, Social Archaeology,
Environmental Radioactivity and Human Geography.
Mathematics, Meteorology and Physics – The School consists of three Departments
and three Natural and Environmental Research Centres (Centre for Global
Atmospheric Modelling, Data Assimilation Research Centre and Environmental
Systems Science Centre). Other associated research centres and networks include:
Joint Centre for Mesoscale Meteorology, UK Universities’ Global Atmospheric
Modelling Programme, Polymer Science Centre and Universities Weather Research
Network.
Systems Engineering – The School comprises the Departments of Computer Science,
Cybernetics and Electronic Engineering. Research activities centre around six
Research groups in: Applied Software Engineering, Computational Vision,
Cybernetic Intelligence, Informatics; Instrumentation & Signal Processing, Interactive
Systems and Parallel Emergent & Distributed Architectures.
The Faculty offers:
- one year MSc by Research Programmes in Chemistry, Engineering, Human Geography
and Physics. These form a good base for PhD studies or an excellent opportunity
for those who only want to undertake research for one year
- opportunities in many areas to undertake work in conjunction with industry
- world-renowned research in Climate Change and Atmospheric Science including
Atmospheric Chemistry
- medical-related research in Medical and Rehabilitation Technology (
Cybernetics) and Medicinal Chemistry (Chemistry)
- research into the design and management of Inclusive Environments, i.e.
suitable for all including those with sensory impairment or learning
difficulties
- studentships in many areas for PhD studies.
Most of the topics given above and those given in this prospectus for the
science areas may be studied through taught Masters, research Masters or PhD
programmes. For detailed information, see the subject pages that interest you.
Staff in the joint Faculty office for Science and Life Sciences are pleased to
answer specific questions from potential applicants. If you have questions about
opportunities in Science, please email us directly.
e-mail scipg@rdg.ac.uk
Faculty of Economic and Social Science
The Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences has RAE 5 rated Departments in
Business and Management, Economics, Real Estate and Planning, Law and Politics.
It also holds ESRC recognition for Postgraduate Research Training across the
breadth of the Social Sciences. Our other key features include:
- the Graduate School for the Social Sciences which offers resources and
support across the Social Science disciplines
- a dynamic partnership of disciplines within the Business School
- proven academic excellence in Economics and Business
- state-of-the-art facilities in financial securities and investment in the ISMA
Centre
- a world-wide reputation for planning and property-related research and teaching
- an expanding range of management studies within a strong regional context
- a Centre of Excellence for European and International graduate studies
- the Centre for Ombudsman Studies, constituting a unique national resource
- particular strengths in Property Law and Socio-legal Studies
- significant developments in academic provision for Primary Care and Public
Health issues
- expertise in Teacher Education and professional development in Education
Management
- the National Centre for Language and Literacy which provides a valuable
resource for teachers and researchers
Faculty of Life Sciences
The Faculty of Life Sciences consists of six Schools providing a wide range of
opportunities for pure and applied training and research at Masters and PhD
levels. Important features of Life Sciences at Reading are as follows.
- Many links with industry especially in the agriculture, food, health,
pharmaceutical and other biotech industries.
Links to important research institutes in the Thames Valley including the
Institute of Animal Health, The Jenner Institute, MRC Institutes at Harwell and
The Central Veterinary Laboratory
- An international reputation as one of the largest UK centres for the study
of agriculture. This is now brought together in the School of Agriculture,
Policy and Development rated 5 in the latest RAE, which, apart from Animal and Crop
Sciences, offers Agricultural and Food Economics and Rural Development. Its
Centre for Dairy Research is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
- One of the largest and most highly-rated groups of food scientists in the
UK University system. Enjoying close links with the food industry, Food
Science, rated 5 in the latest RAE, offers research specialisations in food
technology and processing and, most recently, nutrition and gut microbiology
- The School of Plant Sciences, rated 5 in the latest RAE, is one of the few UK
groups dedicated solely to Botany, Plant Systematics, Agricultural Botany, and
Horticulture
- The School of Animal and Microbial Sciences possesses world leading research
groups in evolutionary biology, zoology medical related research focussed
on cardiovascular systems, neurophysiology, endocrinology, molecular
bacteriology and virology, and bioinformatics
- The School of Psychology was awarded the top grade of 5* in the latest RAE
and obtained full marks in the Teaching Quality Assessment subject review. It
enjoys an international reputation in Cognition, Developmental Psychology and
Perception and has a long standing record in both theoretical and applied
research. Distinctive centres within the School are The Centre for Cognition
and Ageing, and, since 2003, the Centre for the Study of Brain, Behaviour and
Health
- The newly formed School of Pharmacy which forms part of the growth of
health care studies at Reading has opportunities for research degrees and
training in pharmaceutics, pharmacognosy and pharmacy practice including drug
action, targets and design
- The School of Applied Statistics has special research strengths in statistical
genetics and medical and pharmaceutical statistics.
- The recently established Centre for Agro Environmental Research (CAER) and
Centre for Wildlife and Conservation (CWAC) study important conservation issues
in both rural and natural environments in the UK and worldwide
- The MSc in Conservation and Wildlife Management is just one of many
popular specialist Masters programmes offered by the Faculty
An important development for Life Sciences on the campus in the near future is
the BioCentre which will house state-of-the-art facilities for genomic and
post-genomic research.
For a far more complete listing of opportunities for Masters programmes and
research studentships, see the various School and Faculty pages which can be
reached through the main University web site at www.rdg.ac.uk
Staff in the Joint Faculty Office for Science and Life Sciences are ready to
answer your specific questions about Life Sciences at Reading. You can contact
us directly.
e-mail scipg@rdg.ac.uk.
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
The Faculty affords wide provision including seven academic units rated
5 or 5* in the Research Assessment Exercise. It also features a group of
mostly interdisciplinary Research Centres, which serve as homes for Masters
degrees, doctoral and post-doctoral work.
The Faculty offers a strong generic doctoral
training programme and postgraduate study space in the dedicated Graduate School
for Arts and Humanities, described earlier. It also holds three AHRC
Collaborative Training awards in different discipline areas, thus extending
training and networking opportunities to doctoral research communities in other
institutions in the South East.
- The postgraduate programme in Philosophy, one of the 5 rated departments
in the School of Humanities, is consistently rated as one of the leading
provisions in Britain. There is major international strength in Moral
and Practical Philosophy
- The best of 5* rated Department of Italian Studies is one of the largest and most
successful units in the country
- The best of 5* School of English and American Literature won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize
for its work on theatre history and performance, but also offers many other specialisms
- There is a provision, unique in Britain, for research in Typography &
Graphic Communication, a 5 rated, internationally recognised department
integrating theory, history and practice
- The 5 rated Department of Film, Theatre & Television has a special
reputation for its ‘research through practice’ in theatre and its film
criticism, and offers new
opportunities for research in British Television Drama, drawing on the nearby
resources of the BBC Written Archive
- The 5 rated Department of Classics, with the School of Humanities, has a
special reputation for research in the Classical Tradition, and there are
opportunities in the area of Roman History and Archaeology
- The 5 rated Department of French offers wide provision in history,
politics, literature, and comparative cultural studies across many centuries
Research Centres
These include the following:
- the Beckett International Foundation hoses the most important Beckett
archive in the world, and sponsors many events and publications.
Academic representation is spread across English, French and Film, Theatre and
Television
- The Centre for International Research in Childhood: Literature, Culture, Media (CIRCL)
offering unique theoretical teaching and research in children’s literature and
the cultural construction of the child
- The graduate Centre for Medieval Studies (GCMS), with its own MA
programme, events and publications
- The Early Modern Research Centre (EMRC) in English, History and Politics,
with its MA course, conferences and projects
- The Centres for Roman Studies and Hellenic Studies, spanning History,
Classics and Archaeology
- The Centre for Writing, Publishing and Printing History (CWPPH), mainly
within English and Typography, running interdisciplinary seminars and
several major funded collaborative projects
- Three research centres concerned with aspects of European History in the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries share some infrastructure: they are the
Centre for the Advanced Study of French History, the Centre for Modern Italian
History, and the Centre for the Study of East German History
- The Centre for Television Drama Studies, mainly within Film, Theatre &
Television and English
- The Rural History Centre, with its nationally designed collections, and
research and outreach programmes, attached to the School of History
- Special interdisciplinary MA programmes not mentioned above include The Body and
Representation with its international guest lecture series
Special
interdisciplinary MA programmes not mentioned above include The Body and
Representation, with its international guest lecture series.
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