The
Leading Edge,
IT in the UK
The
fact that Britain is at the leading edge of IT development
has been underlined by the decision in June 1997 by
Microsoft to open a 50 million pound research laboratory
at Cambridge University and launch a 10 million package
to start-up companies in what promises to be Britain's
own 'Silicon Valley'.
The
new Microsoft campus is intended to foster links between
industry and the university, which academic research
suggests could be key to promoting technological innovation
and long-term growth.
As
far as the study of IT is concerned at British educational
institutions, there is a huge variety of courses both
for domestic and international students.
Bristol
University is one of Britain's most prestigious universities
and is located in one of Britain's most attractive
and historic cities. The university has recognised
that Computer Science is developing at an extraordinary
speed with its scope and influence being felt in all
areas of life. Therefore a strong commitment has been
made by Bristol to develop its own programmes and
facilities in order to take account of the changes
and to play a role in shaping future developments
in partnership with industry. The Computer Science
curriculum at Bristol has recently undergone a complete
revision to meet the need of both the students and
their future employer.
As
an indication of this awareness of the need to move
ahead with developments in the IT field, a new course
for 1999 is Mathematics for Intelligent Systems which
will use mathematics for problem solving in the industrial
applications and exploiting computer power for tackling
real world problems. The course focuses on information-based
technologies and specialises in computing, artificial
intelligence and knowledge engineering. Bristol encourages
applications form foreign students, non-British based
entry qualifications are listed against each course
in the university's prospectus, for instance, the
current Computer Science degree requires an International
Baccalaureate of 32 points (including 6 points in
Mathematics). Further information may be obtained
from: The University of Bristol, University Union,
Queen's Road, Bristol, BS8 1LN; email: os_as@bristol.ac.uk
Another
highly regarded and popular university is the University
of Manchester. Manchester is a big city with a compact
and friendly city centre, modern and hi-tech with
a proud history and fascinating architectural heritage.
It prides itself on being a trend setting music and
style capital which still has a place for traditional
street markets and local pubs.
The
University has an international reputation for Information
Systems. As provider of the university's computing
facilities, Manchester Computing is at the forefront
of computing technology and, via an extensive network,
provides access to a wide range of information systems
within departments, on the University Campus, and
on a national and International level.
Manchester's
Department of Computer Science also has an international
reputation for both teaching and research. The Higher
Education Funding Council for England graded the experience
of students on the degree programmes as excellent,
and annually the computing department receives more
applicants that any other computer science department
in the UK. The department welcomes applications from
foreign students, although candidates must be proficient
in the use of the English language. The minimum acceptable
level of proficiency for admission to most programmes
is Cambridge Certificate at grade C or above or an
IELTS of average score of 7.0, with not less than
6.0 in any one component. Many academic qualifications
are acceptable for entry, the range of offers for
individual degree programmes for students holding
the International and European Baccalaureate is between
26 and 30 points in six subjects. The offer for the
EB is in the range of 60% to 80%, depending on the
programme. City College Manchester runs special Foundation
courses for international students without the requisite
entry qualifications, specifically geared for entry
to degree programmes at the University of Manchester.
Further details are available from the Undergraduate
Recruitment and Admissions Office ((0)161-275-2077).
Visit the University's Web Site at http://www.man.ac.uk.
London
of course is always the popular choice for study with
both British and international students, and one of
the most highly regarded seats of learning is University
College, London (UCL). A quarter of UCL's students
come form overseas - more than 130 countries are represented
- and they are welcomed for the different perspective
they can bring to discussion and learning. International
students must demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency
in English before being accepted by the college. Students
can also improve their English at The Language Centre
at UCL.
UCL
offers a wide variety of courses in the Information
Technology field, and Computer Science students at
UCL come from all walks of life and from all over
the world. Some have little or no computing experience,
while others have a great deal. The department also
welcomes mature applicants. The Web Site address is
http://www.cs.ul.ac.uf/index.html.
Not
to be ignored when considering excellent courses in
Information Technology in Britain are those at the
'new' universities such as Bournemouth, Bristol (University
of West England), Greenwich and Portsmouth. These
universities have developed out of the highly regarded
Polytechnics and offer a wide range at the older,
more well known universities. For instance, Bournemouth
offers both an HND and a degree course in Business
Information Technology as well as more unusual courses
such as a degree in Computer Visualisation and Animation,
and also a degree in Multimedia Communications. This
latter degree focuses upon the integration of high
speed, world-wide communication systems and fast processing
techniques coupled with fast advances in human-computer
interface technology and software.
Portsmouth
offers an interesting department from the usual Computing
degree courses in the Degree in Information Technology
and Society. This is a social science degree and its
roots are in the academic and intellectual traditions
of the humanities and social sciences, providing a
framework for the study of social change in the late
twentieth century. It differs from other degrees in
the social sciences in the way it identifies information
technology as a major force for promoting the restructuring
of socio-economic and political structures and relationships.
Useful
references for further information are:
