University of Reading

The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading.

Established in 1892, receiving its Royal Charter in 1926, the University has a long tradition of research, education and training at a local, national and international level.

Research

Research income of around £24M in 2002-2003.

Around 10% of annual research income derived from industrial / commercial sponsors.

Over £2M of funding secured in 2004 for business development and the commercial activities at the University.

Reading Enterprise Hub, one of a network of SEEDA sponsored business incubators, opened on campus in 2003.

In the Research Assessment Exercise 2001, five departments were awarded the top rate of 5* - Archaeology, English, Italian, Meteorology and Psychology and fifteen departments were awarded the rating of 5.

Staff

The University has almost 4000 staff, including: Professor Kevin Warwick and Professor Michael Drew.

Students

It had over 14,000 students in the 2003-4 academic year. Around 3000 international students from 130 countries make up Reading's dynamic multi-cultural environment

The University has 560 links with institutions in 90 countries.

Reading University Students' Union is the affiliated student organisation

Campuses

The University maintains over 160 hectares of grounds. The largest area is the Whiteknights Campus, 123 hectares, including Whiteknights lake, conservation meadows and woodlands. The University also owns 850 hectares of Farmland which supports a mixed Farming system including dairy cows, ewes and beef animals. These Farm sites include internationally renowned research centres of which the Flagship is the Centre for Dairy Research.

Awards

The first University to win the Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1989.

Awarded Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 1998.

Alumni

Jamie Cullum - jazz musician

Sir Peter Crane - Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew