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Foreign equivalents of Oxbridge

sbailey

With regard to Berkley, I thought their entry standards were quite high, probably higher than UCL's at any rate. If they're not particularly high, then there would be no reason to see it as a prestigious place to go to university because you haven't "earnt" it.

Compared to the undergrad entry standards of the Ive League unis, Berkeley's is not really high. You may refer to the US News & World Report league tables if you like. I don't know how to compare Berkeley's and UCL's undergrad entry standards, since the US and UK systems are quite different.

Reply 61

Manellowzworth

1

pharmakos

Yeah right, I'm talking about academic prestige, whereas you're talking about employment rate or something. Apparently, we live in two different worlds then.

Even so, there is a difference between the British system and the American one. In Britain, UCL competes comfortably with oxbridge in terms of research because all universities are publicly funded and even oxbridge cant lure people to them with exceptional salaries. In the U.S. however, private unis such as Harvard have the endowment cash to attract almost anyone and are willing to use it to pay people their weight in gold. For this reason, Berkeley is a great school for social science research particularly, but falls just short overall.

Niccolo, if you have nothing to add apart from the fact that you're a sour b**ch, shut up.

Reply 62

Manellowzworth

1

Besides, academic prestige and employment prestige tend to go hand in hand as many accomplished professionals opt into academic fields and as a uni becomes more accomplished its renown increases.

Reply 63

Niccolo

6

Manellowzworth

Even so, there is a difference between the British system and the American one. In Britain, UCL competes comfortably with oxbridge in terms of research because all universities are publicly funded and even oxbridge cant lure people to them with exceptional salaries. In the U.S. however, private unis such as Harvard have the endowment cash to attract almost anyone and are willing to use it to pay people their weight in gold. For this reason, Berkeley is a great school for social science research particularly, but falls just short overall.

Niccolo, if you have nothing to add apart from the fact that you're a sour b**ch, shut up.

That is quite enough, my 'slipped through the admissions tutors net' friend.

Reply 64

ThornsnRoses

11

Manellowzworth

Niccolo, if you have nothing to add apart from the fact that you're a sour b**ch, shut up.

And what is he sour about, exactly?

Reply 65

Manellowzworth

1

This is like the third time he's been quite rude about a post and its getting on my nerves.

Reply 66

Kwekubo

The University of Dublin (with its only college, Trinity College), was modelled on Oxbridge and was traditionally considered to be the third big uni in the British Isles. It looks like an Oxbridge college on steroids and has various ties with Oxford and Cambridge (e.g. a Britain and Ireland legal deposit library, common access to libraries in the other unis, sister college to Oriel in Oxford and St John's in Cam, maturing of BAs to MAs). It's slipped to the far side of 100th on the Times rankings, but it's still the highest rated uni in Ireland.

Reply 67

Manellowzworth

1

Yes, though in contemporary terms I think its gracefully moved out of the top level at least in terms of rep, dont know much about its research.

Reply 68

eleri

5

What's the Sorbonne like?

Reply 69

Octavius85

3

eleri

What's the Sorbonne like?

I study there. The university is historic, 2nd oldest university in the world. For undergraduates, it's not the best and all kinds of students study there because there is no selection, basically. Then, year after year, a selection is made and a low percentage comes through the final exams. Masters are very difficult to get into as well.

In the end, the sorbonne has a big reputation and represents france's public education , that is prestige and poor funding. The prestige attracts the best teachers and some of the brightest international students. However, for engeneering, business and others, the sorbonne is far behind the grandes écoles, which are smaller and far more efficient (better students, better funding etc). For traditional subjects like history, economics or law, the sorbonne remains the great reference.

Reply 70

sassygirl

In China, the best universities are Qing Hua and Bei Da. I'm not sure what that is in English. I'm not even sure where Qing Hua is (probably in the city of Qing Dao) but Bei Da is Beijing University, I suppose.

The thing is, Chinese Universities appear to have entire departments which splinter off to form new Universities, so you have things like Beijing University of Agriculture, which isn't prestigious at all. It's quite a confusing system.

USA: Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Berkeley and I suppose UCLA would sorta count too.

Canada: University of Toronto has direct ties with Oxford, apparently.

Reply 71

Piggy

1

sassygirl

In China, the best universities are Qing Hua and Bei Da. I'm not sure what that is in English. I'm not even sure where Qing Hua is (probably in the city of Qing Dao) but Bei Da is Beijing University, I suppose.

Although sadly neither Qing Hua nor Bei Da is included in the world's top 100 unis...that's a bit suprising actually *ponders* :confused:

Reply 72

pharmakos

8

Octavius85

I study there. The university is historic, 2nd oldest university in the world. For undergraduates, it's not the best and all kinds of students study there because there is no selection, basically. Then, year after year, a selection is made and a low percentage comes through the final exams. Masters are very difficult to get into as well.

In the end, the sorbonne has a big reputation and represents france's public education , that is prestige and poor funding. The prestige attracts the best teachers and some of the brightest international students. However, for engeneering, business and others, the sorbonne is far behind the grandes écoles, which are smaller and far more efficient (better students, better funding etc). For traditional subjects like history, economics or law, the sorbonne remains the great reference.

And so do literary criticism and continental philosophy.

Reply 73

713

2

In Germany the top universities are
Heidelberg (for Medicine)
Mannheim (for Economics)
Freiburg (Law)
Mannheim,Bremen,Konstanz (Politics)
but it does vary depending on which ranking you use and it's not always accurate as you all certainly know

Reply 74

sassygirl

Piggy

Although sadly neither Qing Hua nor Bei Da is included in the world's top 100 unis...that's a bit suprising actually *ponders* :confused:

It is quite odd in some ways. I'm not sure why, exactly. How do those lists get compiled anyway? I'm sure it has something to do with money, and China isn't a rich country (it's officially still LEDC aka Third World). Chinese students tend to do well in the UK because there is such a huge emphasis on hard work in China. In the Tang Dynasty (which lasted a v. long time around 1000AD) meritocracy was established very early on. There were public examinations and based on how well you did in them you got government positions.

It's also a lot harder to get into Qing Hua and Bei Da than it is for people here to get into Oxbridge, mostly because a) there are ridiculous numbers of super-hardworking Chinese students. I count as a slacker for a Chinese girl. b) there are a LOT of applicants.

Something like 1 in 10 people get into University in China after sitting public examinations. I have yet to meet a single person to get into those 2 universities. That's why you get so many Chinese students studying abroad--comparatively speaking, it's fairly easy to get into University here.

Reply 75

Manellowzworth

1

sassygirl

China isn't a rich country (it's officially still LEDC aka Third World)..

Aside from that however, is the difficulty actually that much of an issue in terms of the fact that Greece also has what I suspect is a very similar public examination system but there are just certain students that you aren't competing with i.e. In England its not just a grade cut off, its an application so if you're applying to oxford whilst another kid has applied to e.g. Durham but not Oxford, you're not in the same applicant pool. If China has the grade cut-off point system everyone is effectively competing for the highest mark and thus a spot which is very different.

Reply 76

Dr Pepper

Pretty sad for Ireland if that is its best university!

Why so? It has the Book of Kells hidden in there somewhere.

And given that there are all of six to choose from, it's doing pretty well.

Reply 77

pharmakos

8

Piggy

Although sadly neither Qing Hua nor Bei Da is included in the world's top 100 unis...that's a bit suprising actually *ponders* :confused:

Not surprising at all for a country where the freedom of speech is still a huge issue.

Reply 78

dongbei

Piggy

Although sadly neither Qing Hua nor Bei Da is included in the world's top 100 unis...that's a bit suprising actually *ponders* :confused:

the reason is that the times used another ( the official ) name of BEI DA as Peking University, which ranks 13rd in the league table of world top 100 unis. and Qing Hua ( Tsing hua uni) is some where around 50s.

BEI DA = BEIJING UNIVERSITY= PEKING UNIVERSITY
QING HUA= QING HUA UNIVERISITY= TSHING HUA UNIVERSITY.

both of the two unis locate in beijing city, the capital of China, and only one road between them.

www.pku.edu.cn
www.tsinghua.edu.cn

In my home province, Liaoning, with a population of 60 million people, only about 60 high school students can go to the two unis each year.

Reply 79

kitsune

12

... there's not such Oxbridge thing in Spain... people here apply for the course, not the uni really... "old" universities are the ones of Alcalá de Henares and Salamanca... and the best are Universidad Politécnica de Madrid for Engineering... Carlos III for Law/Economics/Business... and I would say Universidad Autónoma de Madrid for Sciences...

Foreign equivalents of Oxbridge

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