A Comparison between Oxford University and Cambridge University.docx

A Comparison between Oxford University and Cambridge University.docx

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AComparisonbetweenOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversity

AComparisonbetweenOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversity

　　【摘要】牛津大学和剑桥大学是两所世界著名的英国大学。

他们不同于英国的其他大学，但两者本身却在历史、组织构造、教学风格方面拥有很多的相似之处。

与此同时，它们在发展过程、框架结构、教学重点方面也有着不同之处。

牛津大学和剑桥大学是两所世界一流的大学，它们因此成为世界各地的年青人所向往的理想大学。

这两所大学将继续保持它们在将来高等教育界的显著地位。

　　【关键词】牛津大学；剑桥大学；比较；相同点；不同点

　　【Abstract】OxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityintheUnitedKingdomaretwoworld-famousuniversities，theydifferfromotheruniversitiesintheUnitedKingdom，buttheythemselveshavemuchincommoninhistory，organizationalmakeup，andteachingstyle.Meanwhile，theyalsohavesomedifferencesindevelopment，framework，andeducationalfocus.Astwoofthefirst-classuniversitiesintheworld，OxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityhavebecometheidealuniversitiesthatmanyyoungpeopleallovertheworldyearntoenter.Thetwouniversitieswillkeepthemselvesintheforegroundofhighereducationinthefuture.

　　【Keywords】OxfordUniversity；CambridgeUniversity；Comparison；Similarity；Difference

　　0Introduction

　　OxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityintheUnitedKingdomaretwoworld-famousuniversities.Astwooftheoldestuniversitiesintheworld，theyhaveexistedforeighttoninecenturies.OxfordUniversityiswell-knownforitsacademicachievementsinallsubjects，especiallyinartssubjects.Asaninternationallyrenownedcenterforteachingandresearch，OxfordUniversityattractsstudentsandscholarsfromallovertheworld，withalmostaquarterofitsstudentsfromothercountries.CambridgeUniversityisoneofthelargestuniversitiesintheUnitedKingdom.Itsreputationforoutstandingacademicachievementsisknownworld-wideandreflectstheintellectualachievementsofitsstaffandstudents，andtheworld-classoriginalresearchescarriedoutbyitsstaff.Astwoinstitutionsofhighereducationandresearchinawiderangeoffields，OxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityresembleeachotherinhistory，organizationalmakeupandteachingstyle，suchasvariousfinancialsources，beautifullandscapes，excellentstudyingenvironment，andhighacademicstatus.Meanwhile，theyalsodifferfromeachotherindevelopment，framework，andeducationalfocus.

　　1SimilaritiesbetweenOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversity

　　1.1SimilaritiesinHistory

　　BothOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityarehistoricinstitutionsofhighereducation.OxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversitywerefoundedinthe12thcenturyandin1209respectively.Thelonghistoryisoneofthereasonswhybothofthemhaveaworld-widereputation.TheyhavehelpedtotrainmanyimportantpersonswithoutstandingabilitiesfortheUnitedKingdomandevenforthewholeworld.Duetoitslonghistory，thecityofOxfordispopularwithtouristsbecauseofthesplendidmedievalbuildingsatOxfordUniversity.　　1.2SimilaritiesinOrganizationalMakeup

　　Besidesthesimilarityinlonghistory，OxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityresembleeachotherinorganizationalmakeup.Thetwouniversitieshavetheirowndistinctiveorganizationalmakeup.ItisdifficulttounderstandthestructuresofOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityunlessonehasfirstunderstoodthenatureandfunctionsoftheircolleges.AtpresentOxfordUniversityhas39colleges，andCambridgeUniversityhas31colleges.“Theyhavenoresemblancewhateverwiththeinstitutionswhicharealsocalled‘colleges’inAmericanuniversities”（Wu，p.78）.AllofthecollegesatbothOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityareparallelandequalinstitutions，andnoneofthemisconnectedwithanyparticularfieldofstudyorwithanyparticularstageinastudent’seducation.Nomatterwhatsubjectsastudentintendstostudy，heorshemaystudyatanyofthecolleges，andwillremainamemberofthesamecollegeuntilheorshehasgraduated.Eachcollegehasachapel，adining-hall，someteachingbuildingsandsomeresidentialbuildings，thoughtheresidentialbuildingsareingeneralonlylargeenoughtoaccommodateabouthalfofthetotalstudents.Eachstudentspendspartofhisorheruniversitylifelivinginlodgingsoutsidehisorheruniversity.

　　1.3SimilaritiesinTeachingStyle

　　OxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityhavecharacteristicteachingstyle.Partoftheteachingisbymeansofthelecturesorganizedbythecolleges，andastudentmayattendanyofthelectures.AtOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversity，“Theteachersarecommonlycalled‘dons’”（Wang，p.63）.Eachweekadongivesoneortwolecturesonasubjectthatisrelatedtohisorherownfieldofstudy.Atthebeginningofeachtermalistispublishedtoshowallthelecturestobegivenwithineachfacultyduringtheterm.Everystudentcanchoosewhichlecturesheorshewillattend，thoughhisorherowncollegetutorwilltellhimorherwhichlecturesarelikelytobemostrelevant.Attendanceatthelecturesisnotcompulsory，andnorecordofattendanceiskept.

　　Apartfromthelectures，theteachingisbymeansofthetutorialsystem，whichhasbeenoneofthechieffoundationsofthegreatnessofOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversity.Thetutorialsystemisorganizedbythecolleges.EachFellowinacollegeisatutorinhisorherownfieldofstudytotheundergraduateswhoarestudyingtherelatedsubject.Eachstudentgoestohisorhertutor’sofficeonceaweekanddiscusseswiththetutortheessaythatheorshehasread.Astudentdoesnotlearnfromonlyhisorherowntutorinhisorherowncollegeforhisorherentiretutorial.“ThesystemofteachingpracticedatOxfordUniversity，withitstendencytoavoidsetcourses，probablyencouragesindependentthoughtandjudgment”（Wang，p.74）.ThesameistrueofCambridgeUniversity.　　2DifferencesbetweenOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversity

　　2.1DifferencesinDevelopment

　　OxfordUniversityisahistoricinstitution.Thereisnoexactdateofitsfoundation，butteachinginsomeformexistedatOxfordin1096.OxfordUniversityhasdevelopedrapidlysince1167whenHenryII，theKingofEnglandfrom1154to1189，bannedtheBritishstudentsfromattendingtheUniversityofParis.OxfordUniversityplayedaleadingacademicroleintheVictorianera.ThepeoplewhotookpartinOxfordMovementledbyJohnHenryNewmanbrokeawayfromtheAnglicanChurchinthe1840s.Twentyyearslater，thefirstmuseumbuiltatOxfordUniversitywasthesiteofthefamousdebatebetweenBishopWilberforceandThomasHuxley，thechampionofevolution.

　　CambridgeUniversitytracesitshistorybackto1209whenagroupofOxfordscholarswhohadfelttiredoftheconstantstrifethatcharacterizedtheirrelationshipwiththeburghersofOxfordappearedinthetownofCambridgetofoundanewuniversity.Inthe16thcentury，somechangeswerereflectedinthecurriculum.“HenryVIII，KingofEngland，issuedaseriesofinjunctionstotheUniversityin1536，suppressingtheFacultyofCanonLawandforbiddingthestudyofscholasticphilosophy.Thestudyofcanonlawdeclined，andtheGreekandLatinclassics，mathematicsandBiblicalstudiescametothefore”（Ward，p.123）.However，thesituationwasimprovedlater.

　　Inthe17thcentury，mathematicscametodominatethestudiesinCambridgeUniversityandtheterm“Tripos”wasusedtoindicatetheexaminationinmathematics.However，atthebeginningofthe19thcentury，“Tripos”wasusedtoindicatethefinalhonorsdegreeexaminationinanysubjectatCambridgeUniversity.Someadditionswereslowlymadetothestaplemathematicalcurriculum.AnexaminationforthedegreeofBachelorofLawsfirstappearedin1816.In1843avoluntaryexaminationcouldbetakenintheologywhichwastodevelopintoatheologicalTripos.CambridgeUniversitycontinuestochangeinresponsetothechallengesitfaces.

　　2.2DifferencesintheFrameworkofColleges，StaffandStudents

　　AtpresentOxfordUniversityhas39colleges.Threeofthemareforonlyfemalestudents，andtheresttakebothmaleandfemalestudents.CambridgeUniversityhas31colleges.Oneofthemisforonlymalestudents，twoareforonlyfemalestudents，andtheremaining28takebothmaleandfemalestudents.ThemostfamouscollegesofOxfordUniversityandCambridgeUniversityoriginatedearlyandareallunique.“InOxford，thebestknowncollegesare：

ChristChurch，foundedin1546，withitslargefrontquadrangleanditsfamouschapel；MagdalenCollege，foundedin1458，withitstallbell-towerintheperpendicularstyleonwhichthechapelchoirsingsatdawnonMayDay；AllSoulsCollege，foundedin1437，whichisuniqueinhavingnoundergraduatesbutonlyFellows；andNewCollege，foundedin1397，withitsfinechapelandwell-knownchoir”（Brooke，p.98）.　　ThetotalnumberoftheteachersatOxfordUniversityisover1，000.ThecurrentacademicstaffatOxfordUniversityincludes76FellowsoftheRoyalSocietyand105FellowsoftheBritishAcademy.Afurther97EmeritusandHonoraryCollegeFellowsarealsoFellowsoftheBritishAcademy，and142EmeritusandHonoraryCollegeFellowsareFellowsoftheRoyalSociety.ThetotalnumberofthestudentsatOxfordUniversityisjustover16，100.Therearealmost5，000postgraduatestudents，andaround3，000ofthemarestudyingintheartsandhumanitiesfaculties.Therestareundergraduates.Almostaquarterofthestudentsarefromothercountries，includingthecountriesintheEuropeanUnion.Morethan130nationalitiesarerepresentedamongthestudentbody（SunDingguo，p.56）.

　　AtpresentCambridgeUniversityhasmorethan1，000teachers，includingprofessors，associateprofessorsandlecturers.Besides，ithasmorethan1，000visitingscholars.ThetotalnumberofthestudentsatCambridgeUniversityismo