University of Bradford facts for kids
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Former names
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Bradford Institute of Technology |
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| Motto | Give invention light (from Shakespeare's Sonnet 38) |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1832 – Mechanics Institute 1882 – Bradford Technical College 1957 – Bradford Institute of Technology 1966 – gained university status by royal charter |
| Endowment | £1.02 million (2022) |
| Budget | £145.1 million (2021–22) |
| Chancellor | Anita Rani |
| Vice-Chancellor | Shirley Congdon |
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Academic staff
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615 |
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Administrative staff
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1,205 |
| Students | 11,215 (2015/16) |
| Undergraduates | 8,045 (2015/16) |
| Postgraduates | 2,915 (2015/16) |
| Location |
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53°47′30″N 1°45′44″W / 53.79167°N 1.76222°W |
| Affiliations | EQUIS AMBA AACSB Universities UK |
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The University of Bradford is a public research university in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It officially became a university in 1966. This was when it received a special document called a royal charter. It was the 40th university to be created in Britain.
However, its history goes back much further. It started as the Mechanics Institute in 1832. This was a place where people could learn skills needed for jobs in the growing industrial city.
Today, many students attend the university. This includes undergraduate students (who are studying for their first degree) and postgraduate students (who are studying for advanced degrees). About one-third of the undergraduate students are "mature students," meaning they are older than the typical university age. Also, 22% of the students come from other countries. They represent over 110 different nations.
The University of Bradford was the first British university to create a Department of Peace Studies. This happened in 1973. It is now the largest university centre in the world for studying peace and conflict.
Contents
History of the University
The university's story began in 1832 with the Mechanics Institute. This institute helped people in Bradford learn skills for their jobs. In 1882, it became the Bradford Technical College. Later, in 1957, it was named the Bradford Institute of Technology. This new institute focused on higher education courses.
Construction of the Richmond Building started in 1963. This is the biggest building on campus. Other buildings, like the Horton Building, were added later.
In 1966, the university officially received its royal charter. This document made it a full university. Harold Wilson, who was the Prime Minister at the time, became the university's first leader, called the chancellor. In the 1970s, the university became known for its studies on Yugoslavia.
What Happened in the 1980s and 1990s?
The main campus kept growing in the 1970s and beyond. New buildings like the Library and Computer Centre were added. The library was made even bigger in the mid-1990s.
In 1996, the university joined with the Bradford and Airedale College of Health. This college then became the School of Health Studies within the university. In 1987, the university helped start the Northern Consortium. This group helps international students study in the UK.
The University in the 21st Century
In 2009, there were talks about the university joining with Leeds College of Music. However, this merger did not happen because of money problems.
In 2021, the university buildings got a £3.5 million update. This work helped make the buildings use less energy and reduce carbon pollution. The Richmond Building and Horton Building were improved. In 2022, the university received £2 million from a former student, Dr. Venkata "Murthy" Renduchintala. This money will help create the "Murthy-Renduchintala Centre for Space AI." The university also plans to launch a small satellite by 2024.
University Campus
Cool Facilities and Eco-Friendly Efforts
In 2005, the university started a project to become an 'Ecoversity'. This meant making the campus more environmentally friendly. They aimed to create less waste and use materials that are good for the planet. Because of these efforts, Bradford became a Fairtrade University in 2006.
Many improvements have been made. The Richmond Building was updated with better insulation. A new entrance area, called an atrium, opened in 2006. Its roof uses a special material also found in the Eden Project. The university's cancer research centre moved to a new building on campus.
New sports facilities were finished in 2009. A new student village, called "The Green," opened in 2011. "The Green" is very eco-friendly. It has the highest possible rating for sustainable building design. Some older student halls were sold or taken down to make way for new developments.
The university has a modern computer lab with 100 computers for students. There is also an art gallery, a theatre, and a music centre. The £84 million investment helped improve labs, the business school, and the student union building. The university has won awards for its work in sustainable development.
The J. B. Priestley Library
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The J. B. Priestley Library is open almost all the time, 24 hours a day, 360 days a year. It has over 530,000 books and many online journals.
The library was opened in 1975 by J. B. Priestley, a famous writer, and Harold Wilson, the university's chancellor. At that time, the library had a very impressive computer centre. The library was made even bigger in the 1990s.
How the University is Organized
The Chancellor
The Chancellor is like the head of the university. They are often a well-known person who represents the university.
- Harold Wilson (1966–85) – He was also the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
- John Harvey-Jones (1986–91)
- Trevor Holdsworth (1992–98)
- Baroness Lockwood (1998–2005)
- Imran Khan (2005–2014) – He later became the prime minister of Pakistan.
- Kate Swann (2015–2022)
- Anita Rani (2023–Present)
The current Chancellor is Anita Rani. She is a TV and radio presenter who was born in Bradford.
The Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor is in charge of the day-to-day running of the university.
- E. G. Edwards (1966–78)
- John West (1978–89)
- David Johns (1989–98)
- Colin Bell (1998–2001)
- Chris Taylor (2001–07)
- Mark Cleary (2007–13)
- Brian Cantor (2013–2019)
- Shirley Congdon (2019–Present)
The first Vice-Chancellor was Dr E.G. Edwards. The current Vice-Chancellor is Shirley Congdon.
Student Accommodation
"The Green" is a special student village that opened in 2011. It cost £40 million to build. It was designed to be very eco-friendly. "The Green" has the highest possible rating for sustainable building design. It was the first student accommodation in the UK to get this "Outstanding" rating.
University Faculties
The university has four main academic groups called "faculties." These used to be called "schools." Many buildings and classrooms are shared by all faculties.
Engineering & Informatics
This faculty was formed in 2013 when two older schools joined together. It includes three smaller schools:
- The School of Engineering (which teaches mechanical, energy, biomedical, electronic, civil, structural, and chemical engineering).
- The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (for electrical, electronic, computing, and maths).
- The School of Media, Design & Technology (for media and design).
Computing, Informatics and Media
This was one of the university's largest schools. It included departments for Computing, Bradford Media School, Creative Technology, and Mathematics.
The school offers many undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. These include courses in computing, robotics, maths, media, and television. It also has a strong research program.
The Department of Computing was one of the first in the UK to offer a Master's degree in Computing in 1967. The media department started in 1991. It worked with the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (now the National Media Museum). It was one of the first to offer degrees in media technology, animation, and computer games.
A special video editing suite is named after film director Tony Richardson. His daughter, Natasha Richardson, opened it in 1996. The school also works with companies to share its knowledge and resources. For example, its motion capture studio has been used for video games.
Engineering, Design and Technology
The university has taught engineering courses since it began. Many of these courses, like Civil Engineering, are still taught today. All engineering courses are approved by professional groups. The school also has many design and technology courses. Its research areas include car engineering, plastics, and advanced materials.
In 2010, a Chemical Engineering degree was started again. This was with help from the Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Health Studies
The Faculty of Health Studies used to be called the School of Nursing. It became part of the university in 1996. This school moved to the main city campus in 2011. The Horton A building was updated to make space for it.
This faculty teaches degrees in nursing, physiotherapy, midwifery, occupational therapy, and radiography. It also has a special course on drug therapy and part-time courses in dementia care. Most students in this department are female, and many are mature students. The physiotherapy course is highly ranked in the UK.
Life Sciences
The Faculty of Life Sciences has the most students. Over 2,000 students study here. They take courses in Biomedical Sciences, Chemical and Forensic Science, Clinical Sciences, Optometry, Pharmacy, and Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences.
The Bradford School of Optometry and Vision Science has its own Eye Clinic. This clinic helps the local community and trains students. The clinic also offers other eye services.
The Chemical and Forensic Science department offers forensic science courses. New courses in Biotechnology are also being developed. The Clinical Sciences degree started in 2002. Students on this course can even transfer to Leeds Medical School to study medicine.
The Centre for Skin Sciences is one of the largest places in Britain for research on skin and hair. The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics is also well-known for its research.
The Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences department is in old mill buildings. It has special facilities for its studies. This department joined with Life Sciences in 2006.
Management, Law, and Social Sciences
This faculty is a newer combination of different areas. Until 2018, Social Sciences was a separate school. The Management and Law schools used to be located about 3 miles away from the main campus. In 2019, the university moved this faculty to its main city centre campus.
It teaches courses in business, finance, accounting, management, and marketing. Since 2005, it has offered a law degree. It also has many master's and doctoral programs.
The faculty does research that is international and covers many different subjects. It works with 20 universities around the world. The School of Management has special accreditations for its programs.
Social and International Studies
This school covers subjects like development, economics, humanities (including English and history), politics, international relations, peace studies, psychology, criminology, and social work. It offers many undergraduate and postgraduate courses. It also has active research, especially in conflict resolution.
It has six divisions: Economics, Peace Studies, International Development, Sociology and Criminology, Psychology, and Social Care and Social Work.
The Centre for Psychology Studies offers a psychology course for undergraduates. This course is approved by the British Psychological Society. In 2008, Lord Winston opened new psychology labs for teaching and research. Psychology is one of the university's most popular courses. It is highly rated by students.
Academic Information
University Motto
The main motto used by the University of Bradford today is Making Knowledge Work. This motto shows that the university focuses on courses that help students get jobs. The university made this phrase a special trademark in 2007.
However, the official motto on the university's coat of arms is Give Invention Light. This comes from Shakespeare's Sonnet 38. The university has also used other slogans like Be Inspired.
Reputation and Rankings
| National rankings | |
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| Complete (2021) | 109= |
| Guardian (2021) | 80 |
| Times / Sunday Times (2021) | 95 |
| Global rankings | |
| QS (2021) |
531= |
| THE (2021) | 501–600 |
| British Government assessment | |
| Teaching Excellence Framework | Silver |
The Times Good University Guide ranked Bradford very high for graduate employment. It was 7th in the UK in 2005 and 2nd in 2006.
The university is well-known for its research. It is in the top 50 English universities for research funding. The number of staff compared to students is very good. This means students get more attention. In 2008, a report showed that 80% of the university's research was considered international or world-leading.
Student Life
Students' Union
When you enroll at the University of Bradford, you automatically become a member of the University of Bradford's Students' Union (UBU). The UBU offers advice, has a radio station, and runs many clubs and sports teams. The union is led by students who are elected each year.
The union is located in the Student Central building on campus. This building also has university bars, a cafe, a shop, and the library. The UBU is there to help students with advice and information.
Fun Activities for Students
Students can use the 'Unique' centre on campus. It has a fitness gym, an indoor swimming pool, and a climbing wall.
Students are very involved in sports clubs and other societies. There are many different clubs, including ones related to specific courses. Students can also start their own clubs.
The Student Union also has Ramair, which is one of the UK's oldest student radio stations. There is also a student newspaper and the Bradford Student Cinema. This cinema regularly shows new movies for free to students and staff.
University Challenge
The University of Bradford won the TV show University Challenge in 1979. They beat Lancaster University with a score of 215 to 160. However, they were not as successful in 2004, scoring only 35 points.
Famous People Who Studied Here
Many notable people have studied at the University of Bradford. Here are a few:
- Melih Abdulhayoglu – The person who started and is the CEO of Comodo Group.
- Rinchinnyamyn Amarjargal – A former Prime Minister of Mongolia.
- Nick Baines – A bishop and broadcaster.
- Jean-Jacques Burnel – The bass guitarist for the band The Stranglers.
- Mo Ibrahim – A successful business person.
- Imran Khan – A former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
- Riek Machar – A former vice-president of South Sudan.
- Mehran Karimi Nasseri – An Iranian refugee who lived in an airport for many years.
- John Pienaar – A BBC journalist.
- Charles Stross – A science fiction writer who has won awards.
- Kate Swann – The CEO of WH Smith.
- Robert Swindells – An author.
- Gavin Williamson – A former UK government minister.
- Gibran Rakabuming – The Vice President-elect of Indonesia.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Bradford para niños
- Armorial of UK universities
- Bradford Sabres
- College of advanced technology (United Kingdom)
- List of universities in the United Kingdom
- Plate glass university
