About the Sponsors
Founded in 1209, the mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. To date, 90 affiliates of the University have won the Nobel Prize.
The University comprises 31 autonomous Colleges, which admit undergraduates and provide small-group tuition, and 150 departments, faculties and institutions. It is a global university: its 19,000 student body includes 3,700 international students from 120 countries. Cambridge researchers collaborate with colleagues worldwide, and the University has established larger-scale partnerships in Asia, Africa and America.
The University sits at the heart of one of the world’s largest technology clusters. The ‘Cambridge Phenomenon’ has created 1,500 hi-tech companies, 14 of them valued at over US$1 billion and two at over US$10 billion. Cambridge promotes the interface between academia and business, and has a global reputation for innovation.
The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. It is also a world-leading centre of learning, teaching, research, and innovation. Spin-out companies built upon cutting-edge University research contribute significantly to the UK’s economy.
Oxford is a collegiate university made up of 39 colleges and six permanent private halls, giving students and academics the benefits of belonging both to a large, internationally renowned institution and to a small, interdisciplinary academic community.
A major priority for the University is widening access and increasing the diversity of its student body. Each year Oxford reaches out to and engages thousands of schools and hundreds of communities across the country to encourage and support applications from students from all backgrounds. Our programmes range from innovative digital platforms engaging students with ‘Oxplore Big Questions’ to face to face residentials for prospective undergraduates. With the announcement of the expansion of the UNIQ programme, Opportunity Oxford and Foundation Oxford, alongside changes to our financial support packages, by 2023 the University aims for one in four students admitted to be from backgrounds currently under-represented at Oxford. The University is dedicated to ensuring that any student who has the talent and commitment to succeed as a student at Oxford has the opportunity to do just that.
