Aberystwyth University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Aberystwyth University

Prifysgol Aberystwyth
Former names	University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Motto	Welsh: Nid Byd, Byd Heb Wybodaeth
Motto in English	A world without knowledge is no world at all
Type	Public
Established	1872 (as The University College of Wales)
Endowment	£33.5 million (2023)
Budget	£130.8 million (2022/23)
Chancellor	Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd
Vice-Chancellor	Jon Timmis
Academic staff	700 (2021/22)
Administrative staff	1,100 (2021/22)
Students	7,845 (2021/22)
Undergraduates	6,465 (2021/22)
Postgraduates	1,380 (2021/22)
Location	Aberystwyth , Wales
Campus	Campus, 1,709 hectares (4,220 acres)
Colours
Affiliations	ACU AMBA Universities UK University of Wales

Aberystwyth University (Welsh: Prifysgol Aberystwyth) is a public research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. It was one of the first universities to be part of the former federal University of Wales. Today, Aberystwyth University has over 8,000 students. They study in three main academic areas and 17 different departments.

The university started in 1872 as University College Wales, Aberystwyth. It joined the University of Wales in 1894. Later, it became independent again on September 1, 2007. In the 2022–23 school year, the university's income was about £130.8 million. About £22.2 million of this came from research projects.

Discovering Aberystwyth University's Past

Old College, a historic building at the university

The university's coat of arms, with its motto

Aberystwyth University around 1870

Old College Building seen from the castle

In the mid-1800s, important people in Wales wanted to create a university there. One of them, Thomas Nicholas, wrote a book in 1863 that helped convince many Welsh people.

The university opened in October 1872 with only 26 students. It was built with money from people and groups who believed in the idea. Thomas Charles Edwards was the first leader, called the principal. By 1875, over 70,000 people in Wales had donated money to help the university. Women were allowed to study there starting in 1884.

In 1885, a fire damaged the building now known as the Old College, Aberystwyth. In 1897, the university bought land for what would become its main campus, Penglais. The university received a special official document, a Royal charter, in 1893. In 1896, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, became its chancellor.

The university's coat of arms was designed in the 1880s. It has two red dragons, which are symbols of Wales. An open book on the shield represents learning. The top part shows an eagle or phoenix above a burning tower. This might mean the university was reborn after the 1885 fire. The university's motto is in Welsh: Nid Byd, Byd Heb Wybodaeth. This means 'a world without knowledge is no world at all'.

In the early 1900s, the university added new subjects like law and mathematics. The Department of International Politics was started in 1919. It is believed to be the oldest department of its kind in the world. By 1977, many of the university's staff were top scientists, including F. Gwendolen Rees, the first Welsh woman to become a FRS.

The Department of Sports and Exercise Science began in 2000. Psychology degrees were added in 2007 and 2009. The current leader of the university, called the chancellor, is The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd. He started in January 2018.

In 2011, the university changed how its departments were set up. They were grouped into larger subject areas. In 2022, Aberystwyth University celebrated its 150th birthday!

How the University is Organized

Departments and Faculties

The university has different academic departments, an Arts Centre, an International English Centre, and a Music Centre. These are grouped into three main faculties:

Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS)

IBERS is a special place for research and teaching in biology. It brings together experts in rural sciences, biological sciences, and environmental research. About 360 staff work here, doing important research in biology. The institute has two locations: one at the main Penglais campus and another at the Gogerddan campus.

Aberystwyth Business School

This school teaches about business, economics, and accounting. It was created in 1998 by combining different departments. In 2013, the school moved to a new campus at Llanbadarn Fawr. It was even nominated for "Business School of the Year" in 2014.

Cledwyn Building, where the School of Economics used to be

Department of Computer Science

The Llandinam Building, home of Computer Science

The Department of Computer Science started in 1970. It does research in exciting areas like AI, computational biology, computer graphics, and intelligent robotics.

Did you know that AberMUD, one of the first popular online games, was created here by a student named Alan Cox? Also, Jan Pinkava, another graduate, won an Oscar for his animated film Geri's Game.

Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

This department was formed in 1989. It has a large map library with 80,000 maps and 500 atlases!

Department of Information Studies

The College of Librarianship Wales (CLW) started in 1964 to train librarians. It became very well-known and was a leader in distance learning. In 1989, it joined the university.

The Thomas Parry Library

Department of International Politics

The International Politics building

This is the oldest department of its kind in the world! It was founded in 1919, right after the First World War. Its goal was to help people understand global politics better to avoid future wars. The department has over 700 students from 40 different countries. In 2016, students gave it a very high rating for satisfaction.

Department of Law and Criminology

The Department of Law and Criminology started in 1901. It has a special research center called the Centre for Welsh Legal Affairs. The department also publishes two journals. In 2013, it moved to the Llanbadarn Fawr campus, but in 2018, it moved back to the Hugh Owen Building on the Penglais campus.

Department of Modern Languages

Aberystwyth has taught modern languages since 1874. You can learn French, German, Italian, and Spanish here. One of their cool projects is the Anglo-Norman Dictionary, which is available online.

Department of Physics

Physics was first taught at Aberystwyth soon after the university began. It became its own department in 1877. Early research looked at things like electrical conductivity and quantum theory. In 1931, the department hosted a big exhibition about Michael Faraday. After the Second World War, research focused on things like rocket launching equipment and radar.

An Arts Studio at the university

Department of Psychology

Aberystwyth started teaching psychology in 2007. By 2011, the psychology department moved into its current building on the Penglais Campus. It has over 300 undergraduate students.

University Locations

East entrance of the Old College

Penglais Campus

The main campus is on Penglais Hill. It offers great views of Aberystwyth town and Cardigan Bay. Most of the university buildings, the Arts Centre, the Students' Union, and many student homes are here. Right below Penglais Campus is the National Library of Wales, a very important library in Britain. The design of the Penglais Campus is special and is recognized for its historical importance.

Llanbadarn Centre

The Llanbadarn Centre is about a mile east of the Penglais Campus. It also has views of the town and bay. This center is home to the Aberystwyth Business School, Aberystwyth Law School, and the Department of Information Studies.

Gogerddan Campus

The Gogerddan campus is on the edge of town. It's a major research center for land-based sciences, especially for the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Science.

School of Art, Edward Davies Building

The Edward Davies Building, home to the School of Art

The School of Art is located in the Edward Davies Building. This building is considered one of the most beautiful examples of architecture in Aberystwyth.

Old College

The Old College, Aberystwyth is where the university first started. There's a project called "New Life for Old College" to turn it into a hub for history, culture, and learning.

Student Homes

Most student homes are on campus, or a short walk away. Students can choose from different types of accommodation, from traditional halls with meals to modern apartments where they cook for themselves. All homes have internet access and support staff.

Penglais Campus Homes

• Cwrt Mawr (self-catered flats, 503 students)
• Neuadd Pantycelyn [cy] (Welsh-speaking hall with meals, renovated in 2020, 200 students)
• Penbryn (traditional hall with meals, 350 students)
• Rosser (self-catered flats with private bathrooms, 336 students)
• Rosser G (for postgraduate students, 60 students)
• Trefloyne (self-catered flats, 147 students)

Pentre Jane Morgan (Student Village)

This is like a small village with almost 200 individual houses. Each house usually has five or six students, with a total of 1,003 students.

Fferm Penglais Student Residence

These are modern student homes with studio apartments and bedrooms with private bathrooms (1,000 students). There's a special area here for students who want to live in a Welsh-speaking environment.

Town Homes

• Seafront Residences (self-catered flats along the seafront and Queen's Road, 361 students). These include Aberglasney, Balmoral, Blaenwern, Caerleon, Carpenter, Pumlumon, Ty Glyndwr, and Ty Gwerin Halls.

The university also has some houses and flats for students with families. Rooms with disabled access are available.

University's Reputation

Aberystwyth University is often ranked among the top 40 universities in the UK. It was the first university to win the "University of the year for teaching quality" award for two years in a row (2018 and 2019).

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed it in a good position globally. The QS World University Rankings also ranked it highly. In 2015, UK employers thought highly of Aberystwyth graduates for jobs.

Students are very happy at Aberystwyth University. In the 2016 National Student Survey, it was in the top ten UK universities for overall student satisfaction.

The university has also won awards for its leadership and management. It has a Silver Award for workplace health promotion from the Welsh Government. It also has an Athena SWAN Charter Award, which shows its commitment to helping women succeed in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine.

The university has worked hard to become more environmentally friendly. In October 2014, it received an EcoCampus Silver Phase award. In October 2015, the Penglais Campus became the first university campus in Wales to win the Green Flag Award. This award recognizes high-quality parks and green spaces.

Famous People Who Studied or Worked Here

Aberystwyth University has been home to many important people.

Royalty

• Charles III, King of the United Kingdom
• Tunku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tunku Munawir, a Grand Ruler from Malaysia

Academics

• Frederick Soddy, a Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry (1921)
• Alan Cox, a programmer who helped create the Linux kernel

Arts and Entertainment

• Jan Pinkava, an Oscar-winning animated film director
• Alex Jones, a presenter on the BBC One TV show The One Show
• Rachel Roberts, a famous actress

Sports

• John Dawes, a Rugby player who captained Wales and the British Lions
• Carwyn James, a famous Rugby coach

Journalism

• Gareth Jones, a journalist who reported on important historical events.

Gallery

See Also

In Spanish: Universidad de Aberystwyth para niños

• Aberystwyth Arts Centre
• Armorial of UK universities
• List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
• List of universities in the United Kingdom
• List of universities in Wales
• Thomas Parry Library