Oxford University gained the top spot among the best ranking universities for the year 2016. Oxford surpassed California Institute of Technology this year because of a more substantial research budget and increased international reception. Oxford is really excited by this recent turn of events, being that the recent Brexit could have entirely jeopardized the university’s funding, collaborative projects and international reception. Joining Oxford are Cambridge and Imperial College London in the fourth and eight spots respectively. They join the ranks of top Amercian universities like Stanford, Harvard, Princeton & MIT.
The recent positioning of the universities likewise demonstrates the rising impact of Asian universities, especially those in China, which are generously financed by the government. China is expanding its interest in advanced education, increasing the budget allocation every year on its top universities. Universities in Asia have various collaborations with different international universities and started presenting the American style of education. While Asian universities have made it to this year’s list, some British ones missed the mark this year like Sheffield, St Andrews, Queen Mary and Exeter, which were not included in the top 100 list.
Vocabulary:
substantial – [adjective] large in size, value or importance
turn of events – [noun] a new development or change in a situation
jeopardize – [verb] to put something such as a plan or system in danger of being harmed or damaged
collaborative – [adjective] involving two or more people working together for a special purpose
reception – [noun] the way in which people react to something or someone
allocation – [noun]an amount of a resource assigned to a particular recipient
True or False:
- Princeton University is the top university in the world.
- California Institute of Technology was defeated by Oxford University.
- Brexit jeopardized Oxford University’s funding.
- China is expanding its interest in advanced education, decreasing the budget allocation every year on its top universities.
- Universities in Asia have various collaborations with different international universities and started presenting the European style of education.
Defend your argument:
- All students of Oxford University are brilliant.
- University rankings could do more harm than good to ranked universities.
- Employers usually choose applicants who graduated from famous universities.
Express your opinion:
- What for you is the best university in your country? Explain.
- Thomas Carlyle wrote that “What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books.” What do you think about the quote?
- Comment on this: A degree is necessary to succeed in life.