University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is in Oxfordshire, England. Its foundation date is unknown. However, it is known that teaching at Oxford existed in some form as early as 1096 making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in continuous operation.

It grew rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. After disputes between students and Oxford townsfolk in 1209, some academics fled north-east to Cambridge where they established what became the University of Cambridge. These two ancient English universities share many common features and are jointly referred to as Oxbridge.

The University of Oxford is made up of thirty-nine semi-autonomous constituent colleges, four permanent private halls, and a range of academic departments which are organised into four divisions. Each college is a self-governing institution within the university, controlling its own membership and having its own internal structure and activities. All students are members of a college. Traditionally, each of Oxford's constituent colleges is associated with another of the colleges in the University of Cambridge, with the only exceptional addition of Trinity College, Dublin. It does not have a main campus as such, and its buildings and facilities are scattered throughout the city centre. Undergraduate teaching at Oxford consists of lectures, small-group tutorials at the colleges and halls, seminars, laboratory work and occasionally further tutorials provided by the central university faculties and departments. Postgraduate teaching is provided in a predominantly centralised fashion.

Oxford has stood the test of time and is a widely recognized and prestigious university. It has produced many notable alumni including 28 Nobel laureates and 27 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom.