Royal Holloway, University of London
Encyclopedia
Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL) is a constituent college of the University of London
. The college has three faculties
, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries. The campus is located slightly west of Egham
, Surrey, within the boundary of the Greater London Urban Area
, although outside of the M25 motorway
and some 20 miles (32.2 km) from the geographic centre of London.
The Egham campus was founded in 1879 by the Victorian entrepreneur and philanthropist Thomas Holloway
. Royal Holloway College was a women-only institution, and was officially opened in 1886 by Queen Victoria. Royal Holloway College became a member of the University of London in 1900. In 1945, the College began admitting male postgraduate students, and in 1965, male undergraduates. In 1985, Royal Holloway College merged with Bedford College (another formerly all-women's college in London which was founded in 1849 and, like Royal Holloway College, joined the University of London in 1900 and became fully co-educational in 1965). The merged college was named Royal Holloway and Bedford New College (RHBNC), this remaining the official registered name of the College by Act of Parliament. The campus is dominated by the Founder's Building
, a Grade I listed red-brick building which is modelled on the Château de Chambord
in the Loire Valley
in France.
in 1879 on the Mount Lee Estate in Egham. The founding of the College was brought about after Holloway, seeking to fulfil a philanthropic gesture, began a public debate through The Builder regarding 'How best to spend a quarter of a million or more', at which point his wife proposed to build a college especially for women. Holloway later increased his original sum of money to half a million, and today, the campus is still best known for its original 600-bed building, known as the Founder's Building
, designed by William Henry Crossland
and inspired by the Château de Chambord
in the Loire Valley
, France. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner called the original College building "the most ebullient Victorian building in the Home Counties", and noted that together with its sister building the Holloway Sanatorium
, it represents "the summit of High Victorian design".
The Founder's Building, which is now Grade I listed, was officially opened in 1886 by Queen Victoria, who allowed the use of "Royal" in the college's name. Founder's has been described by The Times
as "one of Britain’s most remarkable university buildings", largely due to its elaborate architecture, and according to The Sunday Times
it "makes the college instantly recognisable". The college also has a Chapel, completed in 1886 as one of the last parts of the University to be finished. October 1887 saw the arrival of the first 28 students at Royal Holloway College. It later became a constituent of the University of London
in 1900, as did Bedford College with which Royal Holloway College would eventually merge.
Bedford College was founded by Elizabeth Jesser Reid
in 1849 as a higher education college for the education of women. Reid leased a house at 47 Bedford Square in the Bloomsbury
area of London, and opened the Ladies College in Bedford Square. The intention was to provide a liberal and non-sectarian education for women, something no other institution in the United Kingdom provided at the time. The college moved to 8 and 9 York Place (off Baker Street
) in 1874, and the to Regent's Park
in 1908. In 1900, the college became a constituent school of the University of London. Like Royal Holloway College, following its membership of the University of London, in 1965, it allowed male undergraduates to study on its premises for the first time.
Royal Holloway College and Bedford College merged in 1985. The pressure for the merger was due to a lack of government funding for higher education, and the college was named Royal Holloway and Bedford New College (RHBNC), with an inauguration being held at the College Chapel in 1986 by Elizabeth II. The newest title remains the official registered name of the college, though this was changed for day-to-day use to "Royal Holloway, University of London" by the College Council in 1992.
Since the merger with Bedford College, Royal Holloway has entered into collaborative discussions with Brunel University
and St George's, University of London
. The latter project was cancelled in September 2009. Royal Holloway, St George's and Kingston University
continue to work together in the field of health and social care teaching and research.
, the South East Physics Network, which supports collaboration between seven universities in the South East of England on physics research, outreach
and postgraduate teaching
. The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Research (J.A.I.) is a major collaboration in the field of particle physics between Royal Holloway and the University of Oxford. In the field of health and social care research, the SWan (South West London academic network) between Royal Holloway, St George's and Kingston University based at St George's in Tooting is another of Royal Holloway's major collaborative projects.
Royal Holloway's campus in Egham is set in 135 acres (54.6 ha) of woodland, between Windsor
and Heathrow. Around 200 species of shrubs, 150 different types of tree and numerous wild flowering plants can be found in Royal Holloway's parkland. The campus is 35 minutes from Waterloo station
in central London which is 19 miles (30.6 km) away, and Windsor is 5 miles (8 km). The campus is 2 miles (3.2 km) from M25
junction 13 and close to the M3
, M4
and M40
and London Heathrow Airport. While Royal Holloway's worst feature is considered to be that "Egham is not known for its social scene", it has been noted that the campus's environment "offers the best of both worlds – friendly and relaxed on the one hand, dynamic and busy on the other." The former principal, Professor Stephen Hill, also commended its "superb campus environment and the close-knit nature of our community". The Independent
stated that the University is "Renowned for its friendly and supportive environment".
The Founder's Building, which dominates the campus, has striking north and south towers, two large quadrangles and contains a chapel, kitchen and dining hall, lecture theatre and the arts library along with student rooms and offices. The building has often been the centre of media attention and has become a popular filming location for TV and film as a grandiose 'university' or 'public school'. Apart from the ITV's 'Trinity', the 2006 film Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction starring Sharon Stone
was partly filmed at the South Quad of the Founder's Building during the summer of 2005, becoming the only location to be used outside London. Some areas of the building were also made to look like a psychiatric institute for the film. Similarly, the Academy Award-winning movie Howards End
had some scenes shot inside one of the Founder's courtyards with the statue of Queen Victoria visible. The BBC
's Antiques Roadshow
has used the North Quad of the Founder's Building as a location for one of its antique filming days, and in 2002, external scenes for an episode of Midsomer Murders
, ("Murder on St. Malley's Day"), featuring a fictional public school sports day were partly shot inside the South Quad of the Founder's building. The character Sophie Neveu in the best-selling book The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
is mentioned as having studied cryptography at the Information Security Group
at Royal Holloway. Royal Holloway's Information Security Group is amongst the biggest academic security groups in the world, and in 1998, it was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize
in recognition of its work. In the autumn of 2009, the Founder's Building provided the external settings for the ITV2 satirical drama, Trinity
.
The College Council is the governing body of Royal Holloway, taking responsibility for the College's "financial probity and for setting its overall strategic direction." There are 25 members of the council, many of which are lay members from outside Royal Holloway, and each is appointed for a fixed term. A total of 16 lay members are appointed; 2 from local authorities; 1 selected by the Privy Council; another by the University of London; 2 more are appointed as alumni from Royal Holloway, Bedford College or Royal Holloway College; and the rest are chosen to offer a range of skills and experience. The Council's Chairman, who is appointed for 5 years, is also a lay member. One of The Chairman's duties is to chair a number of committees including the Remuneration Committee, which handles the pay and benefits of the senior staff. At a special meeting held on 19 March 2010, the Council appointed Professor Paul Layzell as the Principal, from 16 August 2010.
programmes, including Single Honours and Joint Honours, with fees of £3,145 for full-time undergraduate students. The study of an undergraduate programme leads to one of five University of London degrees, which include Bachelor of Arts
, Bachelor of Science
, Bachelor of Science (Economics), Bachelor of Music
and Master in Science. Lowered fees, or even free places are allocated to students who stay on to complete a postgraduate degree. The University also runs e-degrees in history and business management. New degrees planned for 2008 include maths and finance, criminology
and sociology, computer science
and finance, and geography and international relations
. For students who obtain results of AAB or more at A-Level, standard bursaries of £500 are automatically doubled. On a competitive basis, Founder's Scholarships worth £3,500 a year are given to 20 students who achieve AAA, and for those who do not have a maintenance grant, 60 Bedford Scholarships are made available worth £1000.
Royal Holloway is particularly strong in the arts and humanities; "cultural and artistic opportunities are hard to rival with excellent theatres, high-profile student media outlets and a strong musical tradition", wrote The Sunday Times
. In the most recent research reviews, French, German, geology and music were judged to be of an international standard, with 5* ratings. The Guardian UK University Guide
in 2005 ranked the Language Department 9th in Britain.
In biological sciences and psychology, teaching assessments awarded top scores to the departments, in addition to all of the sciences being rated "nationally outstanding" for research in 2001, managing to obtain the highest 5 or 5* awards. In the Research Assessment Exercise
(RAE) of 2008, Royal Holloway's School of Biological Sciences was ranked joint 3rd achieving a proportion of 4* and 5* rankings. In the National Student Survey
, physics at Royal Holloway achieved the best results. Royal Holloway also makes a science foundation year available at further education colleges within the region.
The School of Management has all three of its MBA
programmes accredited by AMBA
, and obtained management school status in 1993. At present, the school has 1000 undergraduate students, in addition to 300 postgraduates. Royal Holloway also runs the University of London MBA distance-learning programme, in 2008 the MBA in International Management was ranked as one of the world’s 40 best distance-learning MBAs by the Financial Times
.
The History department is traditionally one of the best in the country and many of the college's most notable academics are longstanding members of the department. The department has been recognised as a centre for research excellence and has received equally good teaching reviews. It remains the University of London's biggest History Department.
An Advanced Skills Programme is also run at the University, featuring information technology, communication skills and foreign languages. The 2007 Sunday Times University Guide
lists all of the following subjects taught at Royal Holloway as excellent: classics and ancient history; drama, dance and cinematics; economics; geology; history; maths, statistics and operational research; organismal biosciences; physics and astronomy; and psychology.
The number of students from working-class homes has seen an increase at Royal Holloway, though undergraduates from independent school count for a quarter of the University's undergraduate students, and it is listed as having one of the lowest state school intakes. Student applications for 2007 courses, 11,931 in total, increased by more than 14 per cent, while there were only 2,153 places available. The rise was attributed to the high student satisfaction being shown by two national surveys, the most recent of which proved Royal Holloway's geography students to be the most satisfied in the country. It is estimated that 20 per cent of undergraduates are from overseas. 67.3 per cent of students achieve a First
or 2:1
degree. Royal Holloway employs 1388 members of staff, including 534 academic staff and 132 research staff. The total number of undergraduate and postgraduate students is around 7,700 from 120 countries.
– National University of Singapore
– Korea University
Royal Holloway collaborates with Queen Mary, University of London
to help run programmes at a college of the University of London in Paris, France, known as the University of London Institute in Paris
(ULIP). This offers undergraduate and graduate students the chance to study University of London ratified French Studies degrees in France. Students who take a degree in French, German, Italian or Hispanic Studies will all take a year abroad as an integral part of the course.
Royal Holloway has been recognised for maintaining a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. The University's graduate unemployment rate has been judged to be "consistently among the very lowest", with only 3.2 per cent of graduates unemployed. Furthermore, according to the latest official statistics for 2006, Royal Holloway is second out of 90 universities in England and Wales for the amount of its students who go into graduate employment. Royal Holloway also came 5th in a league table of UK universities in the 2005 National Survey of Student Satisfaction, placing it alongside universities such as University College London
and Exeter.
The university is popular with both state and privately-educated students, with the latter group currently accounting for around 25% of all students.
for 2009 ranked the college at 30th in the United Kingdom, with a total score of 626 points out of a possible 1000. The Sunday Times University Guide
for 2008 listed Royal Holloway as the 28th best in Britain out of 120, with a 74.9 per cent student satisfaction. In The Good University Guide, Royal Holloway is ranked number 22 in Britain, while The Guardian
placed it at 35, The Independent
at 22, and The Telegraph
at 13. In 2007 The Times rated Royal Holloway 12th in the country and The Telegraph placed it 13th. In the same year The Good University Guide placed it at 11th. The college has been consistently in the top tier of UK universities, and is a solid member of the top 10 in a range of individual subject rankings.
This said, students have expressed dissatisfaction at the university's recent and alarming drop in the league tables. Students graduating in 2008 and 2009 felt cheated, considering that the university's reputation had suffered so dramatically in such a short period of time. In an interview with The London Student, one student – having been awarded three As at A level – remarked that he felt as if the college had let him down. It was subsequently claimed, in an article featured in The Founder
, that an administrative error had resulted in an incorrect value being submitted to league table publishers which quoted an inflated student/staff ratio of 400:1. It is alleged that this mistake explains the college's aforementioned sudden fall in the university rankings.
However, in 2010 the college benefited from upgraded evaluation methods used by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
. They ranked the college as 88th in the world, and 22nd in Europe.
Following Imperial College's recent withdrawal, Royal Holloway is now placed fourth amongst the colleges of the University of London federation, behind LSE
, University College London
and King's College London
. The University is also listed as the 5th best university in London out of 20.
placed Royal Holloway at 9th among ten university institutions whose departments all earned the top ratings for research, whether they achieved 4, 5 or 5* ratings. Additionally, Royal Holloway was listed as the 12th best University for research in Britain by The Sunday Times. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) a range of departments were rated in the national top ten for the quality of the research undertaken. Economics, Geography, Psychology, Earth Sciences & Biological Sciences all made the top 10, whilst the Music department at RHUL was the highest rated Music department of any UK university. Overall Royal Holloway placed 16th in the country (over 150 institutions were assessed).
The current research policy chief of the Higher Education Funding Council for England
, David Sweeney and his predecessor Rama Thirunamachandran were both sourced directly from Royal Holloway.
The Founder's Building houses 479 students in original Victorian rooms and converted space. Meals for catered students are provided in the impressive dining hall. Also on campus, Gowar and Wedderburn, a construction of 564 study bedrooms in two new blocks opened in September 2004. These halls will also be used as accommodation for rowers at the 2012 Olympic Games. Similar accommodation blocks, named Butler, Tuke and Williamson, were completed in September 2007 to replace the ageing Athlone, Cameron and Williamson Halls. Of the waste created by the demolition of Athlone, Cameron and Williamson, 98 per cent was recycled. All five of these new halls were named after former principals and have been designed to be environmentally friendly, accomplished by sedum
-planted roofs that change colour by season, as well as being designed to improve insulation. In an assessment used to distinguish the environmental performance of buildings, BREEMAN rated the Butler, Tuke and Williamson halls as "very good", as their construction was designed to reduce heat loss. The Kingswood I and II accommodation is 1 miles (1.6 km) away. These halls hold over 400 students, and a free bus service operates to the campus. Other accommodation includes Highfield Court (125 students), Penrose Court (200 students), Reid Hall (287 students), Runnymede Hall (441 students) which was opened by HRH The Princess Royal
in 1992 and Victorian Houses (25 postgraduate students).
Between 2002 to 2008, the college underwent a £100 million investment programme and a re-development of its campus, as a result of the merge with Bedford College and the sale of Bedford's site in Regent's Park
. A number of recent projects undertaken by Royal Holloway have included an extension to the School of Management, the library (which holds half a million books), and the academic staff, as well as an improvement to student services. The biological science laboratories have also been renovated and the Windsor Building has been used to create seminar rooms and a 400-seat auditorium. As an extension to the drama department, the on-site Victorian boilerhouse has been converted into a performance space. The International Building, opened in 2000 by HRH The Princess Royal
, houses the Language Centre along with the English, European Studies, French, German, Italian and Hispanic Studies Departments. The new developments have also been followed by the establishment of formal links with New York University
, the University of Sydney
, and Yale University
, and connections with the Royal College of Music
means that music students at Royal Holloway have the opportunity to take lessons there.
The size of the campus has allowed the college to develop some of the best sports facilities of any university institution in the London area, and helped build the college's reputation as a sporting institutions of excellence. An aerobics studio, fitness suite, sports Hall, sports fields and tennis courts account for some of the sporting facilities that Royal Holloway offers. Situated on the campus are restaurants, college shops, a bank, a health centre, a Chapel, a careers centre, as well as a new sports complex. As a result of an evaluation by People & Planet
in 2007, Royal Holloway was ranked a disappointing 60th out of 120 universities for environmental performance. The University has put into place initiatives to enhance environmental performance, such as the improvement of woodland management to develop nature conservation and more recycling banks are being introduced to halls of residence.
Royal Holloway's famous Picture Gallery is in Founder's Building. From 1881–3, Thomas Holloway paid the equivalent of £6m for 77 Victorian era
paintings. Most of the collection was acquired from Christie's sales' catalogues
, except for five, and it is thought that Holloway was only ever outbid once. The Royal Holloway Collection is currently on a 2-year tour of the United States, its debut exhibition overseas. In 2008, the paintings were displayed at the Philbrook Museum of Art
, Tulsa, Oklahoma
, moving on to other art museums in America until 2011. In order to fund the maintenance of Founder's, 3 paintings were sold for £21 million between 1993 and 1995, and the remaining paintings at Royal Holloway have a current value of £16.6 million. The Picture Gallery is a resource for the Victorian Studies Centre for teaching and research in Victorian art, architecture and literature, including a taught MA under the Department of English. A major refurbishment of the gallery was completed in 2008. The Holloway collection is due to return to the College in 2011.
With little nearby off-campus activity, there is a great emphasis placed on The Royal Holloway Students' Union
(SURHUL), which supposedly "has a reputation as one of the best unions in the London area", in words of The Independent
. The Students' Union provides much of the on-campus 'entertainment', organising and sponsoring the sport clubs and special-interest societies, on top of providing welfare advice to students through the Student Advice Centre.
The Royal Holloway Students' Union is responsible for broadcasting Insanity Radio, which was established in 1998. Available locally on 1287 kHz, Insanity broadcasts during term time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The station is also available worldwide through the internet. Receiving a positive reaction, the station has twice won the Silver Award for Best Student Radio Station at BBC Radio 1
's Student Radio Awards
, and has also won the Best Marketing and Promotions Award 3 times since 1999.
The Orbital
is the RHUL campus magazine and is published by the Students' Union, covering subjects from higher education news, opinion and reviews. The original official Royal Holloway student publication was in the format of a newspaper called The Egham Sun, but this was replaced with the magazine edition in the early 1990s.
The Founder
is the independent student newspaper. Founded in 2006, 4,000 free copies are printed and distributed on a fortnightly basis to numerous spots on campus and in the local area. The newspaper receives no financial support from the College or SURHUL and thus advertising revenue acquired by the students on the editorial board pays for the printing costs of the paper. This means that editorial and financial responsibility is entirely that of students. In December 2010 the newspaper became the first student publication in the UK to launch an iPhone app.
At the 2007 Guardian Student Media Awards, Christian Anthony was shortlisted for the Student critic of the year Award. At the inaugural 2011 London Student Journalism Awards Kate Brook, the newspaper's Features Editor, was recognised with the Best Feature Writer award.
tails) from the Royal Holloway coat. Placed between two black lozenge
s, there is a lamp of learning. Traditionally, the lozenge is worn on the arm of unmarried women or widows, which places significance on the coat of arms' lozenges as it acts as a reminder that the colleges were founded for women. Below, the motto is displayed which is taken from the arms of Bedford College, and reads esse quam videri.
The Royal Holloway shield was created following the merger of Bedford and Royal Holloway Colleges in 1985. The shield appears (in a black and white form) on legal documents and stationery for legal reasons, along with the following: "Incorporated by Act of Parliament. Royal Holloway and Bedford New College."
The use of the University's identifying marks is governed by the Corporate Identity Manual, RHUL.
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. The college has three faculties
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries. The campus is located slightly west of Egham
Egham
Egham is a wealthy suburb in the Runnymede borough of Surrey, in the south-east of England. It is part of the London commuter belt and Greater London Urban Area, and about south-west of central London on the River Thames and near junction 13 of the M25 motorway.-Demographics:Egham town has a...
, Surrey, within the boundary of the Greater London Urban Area
Greater London Urban Area
The Greater London Urban Area is the conurbation or continuous urban area based around London, England, as defined by the Office for National Statistics. It had an estimated population of 8,505,000 in 2005 and occupied an area of at the time of the 2001 census. It includes most of Greater London,...
, although outside of the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
and some 20 miles (32.2 km) from the geographic centre of London.
The Egham campus was founded in 1879 by the Victorian entrepreneur and philanthropist Thomas Holloway
Thomas Holloway
Thomas Holloway was a patent medicine vendor and philanthropist from England.-Early life:Holloway was born in Devonport, a district of Plymouth in the county of Devon, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Holloway , who at the time of their son's birth had a bakery business. They later moved to...
. Royal Holloway College was a women-only institution, and was officially opened in 1886 by Queen Victoria. Royal Holloway College became a member of the University of London in 1900. In 1945, the College began admitting male postgraduate students, and in 1965, male undergraduates. In 1985, Royal Holloway College merged with Bedford College (another formerly all-women's college in London which was founded in 1849 and, like Royal Holloway College, joined the University of London in 1900 and became fully co-educational in 1965). The merged college was named Royal Holloway and Bedford New College (RHBNC), this remaining the official registered name of the College by Act of Parliament. The campus is dominated by the Founder's Building
Founder's Building
The Founder's Building was the original building of Royal Holloway College and is an example of Gothic Revival architecture in the United Kingdom. Today it is the dominant building on the campus of Royal Holloway, University of London in Egham, Surrey.The construction of the building began in...
, a Grade I listed red-brick building which is modelled on the Château de Chambord
Château de Chambord
The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures.The building, which was never...
in the Loire Valley
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
in France.
History
Royal Holloway College
Royal Holloway College, a women-only college, was founded by the Victorian entrepreneur Thomas HollowayThomas Holloway
Thomas Holloway was a patent medicine vendor and philanthropist from England.-Early life:Holloway was born in Devonport, a district of Plymouth in the county of Devon, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Holloway , who at the time of their son's birth had a bakery business. They later moved to...
in 1879 on the Mount Lee Estate in Egham. The founding of the College was brought about after Holloway, seeking to fulfil a philanthropic gesture, began a public debate through The Builder regarding 'How best to spend a quarter of a million or more', at which point his wife proposed to build a college especially for women. Holloway later increased his original sum of money to half a million, and today, the campus is still best known for its original 600-bed building, known as the Founder's Building
Founder's Building
The Founder's Building was the original building of Royal Holloway College and is an example of Gothic Revival architecture in the United Kingdom. Today it is the dominant building on the campus of Royal Holloway, University of London in Egham, Surrey.The construction of the building began in...
, designed by William Henry Crossland
William Henry Crossland
William Henry Crossland was a nineteenth century architect and a pupil of George Gilbert Scott.-Principal works:Crossland's three most important commissions were:...
and inspired by the Château de Chambord
Château de Chambord
The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures.The building, which was never...
in the Loire Valley
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
, France. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner called the original College building "the most ebullient Victorian building in the Home Counties", and noted that together with its sister building the Holloway Sanatorium
Holloway Sanatorium
Holloway Sanatorium was an institution for the treatment of the insane, located on of parkland near the town of Virginia Water, Surrey, within the boundary of the Greater London Urban Area, about south-west of Charing Cross....
, it represents "the summit of High Victorian design".
The Founder's Building, which is now Grade I listed, was officially opened in 1886 by Queen Victoria, who allowed the use of "Royal" in the college's name. Founder's has been described by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "one of Britain’s most remarkable university buildings", largely due to its elaborate architecture, and according to The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
it "makes the college instantly recognisable". The college also has a Chapel, completed in 1886 as one of the last parts of the University to be finished. October 1887 saw the arrival of the first 28 students at Royal Holloway College. It later became a constituent of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1900, as did Bedford College with which Royal Holloway College would eventually merge.
Merger of Royal Holloway College and Bedford College (1985)
Elizabeth Jesser Reid
Elizabeth Jesser Reid , was an English social reformer, anti-slavery activist and philanthropist. She is best remembered as the founder of Bedford College....
in 1849 as a higher education college for the education of women. Reid leased a house at 47 Bedford Square in the Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
area of London, and opened the Ladies College in Bedford Square. The intention was to provide a liberal and non-sectarian education for women, something no other institution in the United Kingdom provided at the time. The college moved to 8 and 9 York Place (off Baker Street
Baker Street
Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid the street out in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who lived at a fictional 221B...
) in 1874, and the to Regent's Park
Regent's Park
Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
in 1908. In 1900, the college became a constituent school of the University of London. Like Royal Holloway College, following its membership of the University of London, in 1965, it allowed male undergraduates to study on its premises for the first time.
Royal Holloway College and Bedford College merged in 1985. The pressure for the merger was due to a lack of government funding for higher education, and the college was named Royal Holloway and Bedford New College (RHBNC), with an inauguration being held at the College Chapel in 1986 by Elizabeth II. The newest title remains the official registered name of the college, though this was changed for day-to-day use to "Royal Holloway, University of London" by the College Council in 1992.
Since the merger with Bedford College, Royal Holloway has entered into collaborative discussions with Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
and St George's, University of London
St George's, University of London
St George's, University of London is a medical school located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. The latter project was cancelled in September 2009. Royal Holloway, St George's and Kingston University
Kingston University
Kingston University is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, United Kingdom. It was originally founded in 1899 as Kingston Technical Institute, a polytechnic, and became a university in 1992....
continue to work together in the field of health and social care teaching and research.
Collaborations
Royal Holloway has forged successful academic links with other universities in the Greater London area and beyond. In 2004 RHUL became a member of the WestFocus Knowledge Exchange based at Kingston University along with Brunel, Roehampton, Thames Valley Universities, University of Westminster and St George's, University of London. The WestFocus initiative was created to forge business and enterprise links between its member institutions and small to medium-size business partners in the South East of England. Royal Holloway's Department of Physics is a founding member of SEPnetSepnet
The South-East Physics Network, or SEPnet, is an association of physics departments at universities in the South-East of England.In 2008 it received a grant of £12.5 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England....
, the South East Physics Network, which supports collaboration between seven universities in the South East of England on physics research, outreach
Science outreach
Science outreach, also called Education and Public Outreach or simply Public outreach, is an umbrella term for a variety of activities by research institutes, universities, and institutions such as science museums, aimed at promoting public awareness of science and making informal contributions...
and postgraduate teaching
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
. The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Research (J.A.I.) is a major collaboration in the field of particle physics between Royal Holloway and the University of Oxford. In the field of health and social care research, the SWan (South West London academic network) between Royal Holloway, St George's and Kingston University based at St George's in Tooting is another of Royal Holloway's major collaborative projects.
Location and governance
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
and Heathrow. Around 200 species of shrubs, 150 different types of tree and numerous wild flowering plants can be found in Royal Holloway's parkland. The campus is 35 minutes from Waterloo station
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
in central London which is 19 miles (30.6 km) away, and Windsor is 5 miles (8 km). The campus is 2 miles (3.2 km) from M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
junction 13 and close to the M3
M3 motorway
The M3 motorway runs in England for approximately from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, to Southampton, Hampshire and forms an unsigned section European route E05. It is dual three lanes as far as Junction 8 near Basingstoke and then dual two lane until Junction 9 near Winchester and then dual three...
, M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
and M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
and London Heathrow Airport. While Royal Holloway's worst feature is considered to be that "Egham is not known for its social scene", it has been noted that the campus's environment "offers the best of both worlds – friendly and relaxed on the one hand, dynamic and busy on the other." The former principal, Professor Stephen Hill, also commended its "superb campus environment and the close-knit nature of our community". The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
stated that the University is "Renowned for its friendly and supportive environment".
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
was partly filmed at the South Quad of the Founder's Building during the summer of 2005, becoming the only location to be used outside London. Some areas of the building were also made to look like a psychiatric institute for the film. Similarly, the Academy Award-winning movie Howards End
Howards End (film)
Howards End is a 1992 film based upon the novel of the same title by E. M. Forster , a story of class relations in turn-of-the-20th-century England...
had some scenes shot inside one of the Founder's courtyards with the statue of Queen Victoria visible. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
has used the North Quad of the Founder's Building as a location for one of its antique filming days, and in 2002, external scenes for an episode of Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
, ("Murder on St. Malley's Day"), featuring a fictional public school sports day were partly shot inside the South Quad of the Founder's building. The character Sophie Neveu in the best-selling book The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
by Dan Brown
Dan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
is mentioned as having studied cryptography at the Information Security Group
Information Security Group
The Information Security Group or ISG is one of the worlds largest academic security groups and is based at Royal Holloway, University of London....
at Royal Holloway. Royal Holloway's Information Security Group is amongst the biggest academic security groups in the world, and in 1998, it was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize
Queen's Anniversary Prize
The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education is a biennially awarded series of prizes awarded to Universities and Colleges in the further and higher education sectors within the United Kingdom...
in recognition of its work. In the autumn of 2009, the Founder's Building provided the external settings for the ITV2 satirical drama, Trinity
Trinity (TV series)
Trinity is a British drama series which was broadcast on ITV2 from September to November 2009. The series is set in the fictional "Trinity College" of "Bridgeford University", and stars Charles Dance, Claire Skinner, Antonia Bernath, Christian Cooke, Reggie Yates and Isabella Calthorpe.-Plot...
.
The College Council is the governing body of Royal Holloway, taking responsibility for the College's "financial probity and for setting its overall strategic direction." There are 25 members of the council, many of which are lay members from outside Royal Holloway, and each is appointed for a fixed term. A total of 16 lay members are appointed; 2 from local authorities; 1 selected by the Privy Council; another by the University of London; 2 more are appointed as alumni from Royal Holloway, Bedford College or Royal Holloway College; and the rest are chosen to offer a range of skills and experience. The Council's Chairman, who is appointed for 5 years, is also a lay member. One of The Chairman's duties is to chair a number of committees including the Remuneration Committee, which handles the pay and benefits of the senior staff. At a special meeting held on 19 March 2010, the Council appointed Professor Paul Layzell as the Principal, from 16 August 2010.
Academic structure
The University is made up of a number of schools and departments organised into three faculties, and 18 academic departments. One Dean heads each faculty, and are supported by Deputy Deans. The Principal takes the role of appointing The Heads of Department, who in turn report to their faculty's Dean. The faculties are as follows:Departments and centres
- Department of Classics & Philosophy
- Department of Drama & Theatre
- Department of English
- Centre for Victorian Studies
- Department of European Studies
- Department of Media Arts
- Department of Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures (French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, European Literature and Cultural Studies)
- Department of Music
Departments and centres
- Centre for Criminology & Sociology
- Department of Economics
- Department of European Studies
- Department of Health & Social Care (Department of Social Work from 1/8/11)
- Department of History
- Department of Management
- Department of Politics and International Relations
Departments
- Department of Biological Sciences
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Earth Sciences
- Department of Geography
- Department of Mathematics
- Department of Physics
- Department of Psychology
- Electron Microscopy Unit (Department of Geography)
- Information Security GroupInformation Security GroupThe Information Security Group or ISG is one of the worlds largest academic security groups and is based at Royal Holloway, University of London....
Courses
Royal Holloway runs a variety of academic degreeAcademic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
programmes, including Single Honours and Joint Honours, with fees of £3,145 for full-time undergraduate students. The study of an undergraduate programme leads to one of five University of London degrees, which include Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
, Bachelor of Science (Economics), Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
and Master in Science. Lowered fees, or even free places are allocated to students who stay on to complete a postgraduate degree. The University also runs e-degrees in history and business management. New degrees planned for 2008 include maths and finance, criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
and sociology, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and finance, and geography and international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. For students who obtain results of AAB or more at A-Level, standard bursaries of £500 are automatically doubled. On a competitive basis, Founder's Scholarships worth £3,500 a year are given to 20 students who achieve AAA, and for those who do not have a maintenance grant, 60 Bedford Scholarships are made available worth £1000.
Royal Holloway is particularly strong in the arts and humanities; "cultural and artistic opportunities are hard to rival with excellent theatres, high-profile student media outlets and a strong musical tradition", wrote The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
. In the most recent research reviews, French, German, geology and music were judged to be of an international standard, with 5* ratings. The Guardian UK University Guide
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 2005 ranked the Language Department 9th in Britain.
In biological sciences and psychology, teaching assessments awarded top scores to the departments, in addition to all of the sciences being rated "nationally outstanding" for research in 2001, managing to obtain the highest 5 or 5* awards. In the Research Assessment Exercise
Research Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
(RAE) of 2008, Royal Holloway's School of Biological Sciences was ranked joint 3rd achieving a proportion of 4* and 5* rankings. In the National Student Survey
National student survey
The National Student Survey is a survey, launched in 2005, of all final year degree students at institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, physics at Royal Holloway achieved the best results. Royal Holloway also makes a science foundation year available at further education colleges within the region.
The School of Management has all three of its MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
programmes accredited by AMBA
Association of MBAs
The Association of MBAs is a London-based international organization that accredits postgraduate business programs at business schools worldwide. The Association is one of the three main global accreditation bodies in business education and styles itself "the world's impartial authority on...
, and obtained management school status in 1993. At present, the school has 1000 undergraduate students, in addition to 300 postgraduates. Royal Holloway also runs the University of London MBA distance-learning programme, in 2008 the MBA in International Management was ranked as one of the world’s 40 best distance-learning MBAs by the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
.
The History department is traditionally one of the best in the country and many of the college's most notable academics are longstanding members of the department. The department has been recognised as a centre for research excellence and has received equally good teaching reviews. It remains the University of London's biggest History Department.
An Advanced Skills Programme is also run at the University, featuring information technology, communication skills and foreign languages. The 2007 Sunday Times University Guide
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
lists all of the following subjects taught at Royal Holloway as excellent: classics and ancient history; drama, dance and cinematics; economics; geology; history; maths, statistics and operational research; organismal biosciences; physics and astronomy; and psychology.
The number of students from working-class homes has seen an increase at Royal Holloway, though undergraduates from independent school count for a quarter of the University's undergraduate students, and it is listed as having one of the lowest state school intakes. Student applications for 2007 courses, 11,931 in total, increased by more than 14 per cent, while there were only 2,153 places available. The rise was attributed to the high student satisfaction being shown by two national surveys, the most recent of which proved Royal Holloway's geography students to be the most satisfied in the country. It is estimated that 20 per cent of undergraduates are from overseas. 67.3 per cent of students achieve a First
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
or 2:1
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
degree. Royal Holloway employs 1388 members of staff, including 534 academic staff and 132 research staff. The total number of undergraduate and postgraduate students is around 7,700 from 120 countries.
Study Abroad Programme
RHUL has developed a variety of study abroad programmes, allowing its students to spend a year in institutions including;-
- Flinders UniversityFlinders UniversityFlinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
- University of MelbourneUniversity of MelbourneThe University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
- University of QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
- University of SydneyUniversity of SydneyThe University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
- University of Western AustraliaUniversity of Western AustraliaThe University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
- University of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
- Concordia UniversityConcordia UniversityConcordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
- University of OttawaUniversity of OttawaThe University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
- University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
– University of Hong Kong - International Christian UniversityInternational Christian UniversityThere are several rankings related to ICU, shown below.-Alumni rankings:According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings and the PRESIDENT's article on 2006/10/16, graduates from ICU have the 24th best employment rate in 400 major companies, and their average graduate salary is the 4th best in...
- Keio UniversityKeio University,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
- Ritsumeikan UniversityRitsumeikan UniversityRitsumeikan University has a growing reputation as one of the main private universities of Japan. It is part of a group of prestigious private universities in the Kansai area, called "Kan -Kan -Dou -Ritsu "...
- Waseda UniversityWaseda University, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
- Flinders University
– National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
– Korea University
Korea University
Korea University is a prestigious nonsectarian, private research university located primarily in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the SKY universities, a historical acronym used in South Korea to refer to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Founded by Lee Yong-ik in...
-
- Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
- Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
- University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
- New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
- Tulane UniversityTulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
- Washington CollegeWashington CollegeWashington College is a private, independent liberal arts college located on a campus in Chestertown, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782...
- Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
- Arizona State University
Royal Holloway collaborates with Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
to help run programmes at a college of the University of London in Paris, France, known as the University of London Institute in Paris
University of London Institute in Paris
The University of London Institute in Paris is a college of the University of London located in Paris. It is currently the only UK University Institute in Continental Europe.-History:...
(ULIP). This offers undergraduate and graduate students the chance to study University of London ratified French Studies degrees in France. Students who take a degree in French, German, Italian or Hispanic Studies will all take a year abroad as an integral part of the course.
Academic reputation
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Exeter.
The university is popular with both state and privately-educated students, with the latter group currently accounting for around 25% of all students.
Rankings
For 2010, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the college 13th in the UK, 22nd in Europe, and 88th in the world. The Times Good University GuideThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
for 2009 ranked the college at 30th in the United Kingdom, with a total score of 626 points out of a possible 1000. The Sunday Times University Guide
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
for 2008 listed Royal Holloway as the 28th best in Britain out of 120, with a 74.9 per cent student satisfaction. In The Good University Guide, Royal Holloway is ranked number 22 in Britain, while The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
placed it at 35, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
at 22, and The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
at 13. In 2007 The Times rated Royal Holloway 12th in the country and The Telegraph placed it 13th. In the same year The Good University Guide placed it at 11th. The college has been consistently in the top tier of UK universities, and is a solid member of the top 10 in a range of individual subject rankings.
This said, students have expressed dissatisfaction at the university's recent and alarming drop in the league tables. Students graduating in 2008 and 2009 felt cheated, considering that the university's reputation had suffered so dramatically in such a short period of time. In an interview with The London Student, one student – having been awarded three As at A level – remarked that he felt as if the college had let him down. It was subsequently claimed, in an article featured in The Founder
The Founder
The Founder is the independent student newspaper at Royal Holloway, University of London. It is distinguished from other campus media by its compact design and its independence from SURHUL.-Current information:...
, that an administrative error had resulted in an incorrect value being submitted to league table publishers which quoted an inflated student/staff ratio of 400:1. It is alleged that this mistake explains the college's aforementioned sudden fall in the university rankings.
However, in 2010 the college benefited from upgraded evaluation methods used by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
. They ranked the college as 88th in the world, and 22nd in Europe.
Following Imperial College's recent withdrawal, Royal Holloway is now placed fourth amongst the colleges of the University of London federation, behind LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
and King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. The University is also listed as the 5th best university in London out of 20.
Research
The results of the 2001 Research Assessment ExerciseResearch Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
placed Royal Holloway at 9th among ten university institutions whose departments all earned the top ratings for research, whether they achieved 4, 5 or 5* ratings. Additionally, Royal Holloway was listed as the 12th best University for research in Britain by The Sunday Times. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) a range of departments were rated in the national top ten for the quality of the research undertaken. Economics, Geography, Psychology, Earth Sciences & Biological Sciences all made the top 10, whilst the Music department at RHUL was the highest rated Music department of any UK university. Overall Royal Holloway placed 16th in the country (over 150 institutions were assessed).
The current research policy chief of the Higher Education Funding Council for England
Higher Education Funding Council for England
The Higher Education Funding Council for England is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the United Kingdom, which has been responsible for the distribution of funding to Universities and Colleges of Higher and Further Education in England since...
, David Sweeney and his predecessor Rama Thirunamachandran were both sourced directly from Royal Holloway.
Halls of residence
Most halls are around the main campus, are initially allocated to the first year to students who firmly accept a conditional or unconditional offer. Accommodation prices at the University can vary, ranging from £67-£112 per week. Catered-pay-as-you-go accommodation is also available. Currently 2,900 students live in halls of residence.The Founder's Building houses 479 students in original Victorian rooms and converted space. Meals for catered students are provided in the impressive dining hall. Also on campus, Gowar and Wedderburn, a construction of 564 study bedrooms in two new blocks opened in September 2004. These halls will also be used as accommodation for rowers at the 2012 Olympic Games. Similar accommodation blocks, named Butler, Tuke and Williamson, were completed in September 2007 to replace the ageing Athlone, Cameron and Williamson Halls. Of the waste created by the demolition of Athlone, Cameron and Williamson, 98 per cent was recycled. All five of these new halls were named after former principals and have been designed to be environmentally friendly, accomplished by sedum
Sedum
Sedum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. It contains around 400 species of leaf succulents that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, varying from annual and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have...
-planted roofs that change colour by season, as well as being designed to improve insulation. In an assessment used to distinguish the environmental performance of buildings, BREEMAN rated the Butler, Tuke and Williamson halls as "very good", as their construction was designed to reduce heat loss. The Kingswood I and II accommodation is 1 miles (1.6 km) away. These halls hold over 400 students, and a free bus service operates to the campus. Other accommodation includes Highfield Court (125 students), Penrose Court (200 students), Reid Hall (287 students), Runnymede Hall (441 students) which was opened by HRH The Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
in 1992 and Victorian Houses (25 postgraduate students).
Campus redevelopment
Regent's Park
Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
. A number of recent projects undertaken by Royal Holloway have included an extension to the School of Management, the library (which holds half a million books), and the academic staff, as well as an improvement to student services. The biological science laboratories have also been renovated and the Windsor Building has been used to create seminar rooms and a 400-seat auditorium. As an extension to the drama department, the on-site Victorian boilerhouse has been converted into a performance space. The International Building, opened in 2000 by HRH The Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, houses the Language Centre along with the English, European Studies, French, German, Italian and Hispanic Studies Departments. The new developments have also been followed by the establishment of formal links with New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, and connections with the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
means that music students at Royal Holloway have the opportunity to take lessons there.
The size of the campus has allowed the college to develop some of the best sports facilities of any university institution in the London area, and helped build the college's reputation as a sporting institutions of excellence. An aerobics studio, fitness suite, sports Hall, sports fields and tennis courts account for some of the sporting facilities that Royal Holloway offers. Situated on the campus are restaurants, college shops, a bank, a health centre, a Chapel, a careers centre, as well as a new sports complex. As a result of an evaluation by People & Planet
People & Planet
People & Planet is a network of student campaign groups in the UK. It claims to be "the largest student campaigning organization in the country campaigning to alleviate world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment."-Organization:...
in 2007, Royal Holloway was ranked a disappointing 60th out of 120 universities for environmental performance. The University has put into place initiatives to enhance environmental performance, such as the improvement of woodland management to develop nature conservation and more recycling banks are being introduced to halls of residence.
The Picture Gallery and Holloway Collection
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
paintings. Most of the collection was acquired from Christie's sales' catalogues
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
, except for five, and it is thought that Holloway was only ever outbid once. The Royal Holloway Collection is currently on a 2-year tour of the United States, its debut exhibition overseas. In 2008, the paintings were displayed at the Philbrook Museum of Art
Philbrook Museum of Art
The Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma is an art museum and former home of Oklahoma oil pioneer Waite Phillips and his wife Genevieve Phillips. , the museum has a staff of 60 and an operating budget of nearly $6 million....
, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, moving on to other art museums in America until 2011. In order to fund the maintenance of Founder's, 3 paintings were sold for £21 million between 1993 and 1995, and the remaining paintings at Royal Holloway have a current value of £16.6 million. The Picture Gallery is a resource for the Victorian Studies Centre for teaching and research in Victorian art, architecture and literature, including a taught MA under the Department of English. A major refurbishment of the gallery was completed in 2008. The Holloway collection is due to return to the College in 2011.
Students' Union
Royal Holloway Students' Union
With little nearby off-campus activity, there is a great emphasis placed on The Royal Holloway Students' Union , which "has a reputation as one of the best unions in the London area", in the words of The Independent...
(SURHUL), which supposedly "has a reputation as one of the best unions in the London area", in words of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
. The Students' Union provides much of the on-campus 'entertainment', organising and sponsoring the sport clubs and special-interest societies, on top of providing welfare advice to students through the Student Advice Centre.
Media
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Student Radio Awards
Student Radio Awards
The Student Radio Awards is a UK awards scheme celebrating talent within the UK student radio industry, held annually since 1996 by the Student Radio Association and supported by BBC Radio 1....
, and has also won the Best Marketing and Promotions Award 3 times since 1999.
The Orbital
The Orbital
The Orbital is the official student publication of SURHUL. It contains a range of subjects covering student life, culture, entertainment and current affairs. It attempts to strike a balance between serious topics and light-hearted features....
is the RHUL campus magazine and is published by the Students' Union, covering subjects from higher education news, opinion and reviews. The original official Royal Holloway student publication was in the format of a newspaper called The Egham Sun, but this was replaced with the magazine edition in the early 1990s.
The Founder
The Founder is the independent student newspaper at Royal Holloway, University of London. It is distinguished from other campus media by its compact design and its independence from SURHUL.-Current information:...
is the independent student newspaper. Founded in 2006, 4,000 free copies are printed and distributed on a fortnightly basis to numerous spots on campus and in the local area. The newspaper receives no financial support from the College or SURHUL and thus advertising revenue acquired by the students on the editorial board pays for the printing costs of the paper. This means that editorial and financial responsibility is entirely that of students. In December 2010 the newspaper became the first student publication in the UK to launch an iPhone app.
At the 2007 Guardian Student Media Awards, Christian Anthony was shortlisted for the Student critic of the year Award. At the inaugural 2011 London Student Journalism Awards Kate Brook, the newspaper's Features Editor, was recognised with the Best Feature Writer award.
Additional logos
Royal Holloway's coat of arms consists of the Royal Holloway shield and its surrounding elements. There are three crescents shown on the coat of arms, which are taken from Thomas Holloway's own coat of arms. Taken from the Bedford coat of arms, the field is coloured black and gold in a chequered design, with the addition of ermine spots (feather-like symbols representing ermineErmine
Ermine has several uses:* A common name for the stoat * The white fur and black tail end of this animal, which is historically worn by and associated with royalty and high officials...
tails) from the Royal Holloway coat. Placed between two black lozenge
Lozenge
A lozenge , often referred to as a diamond, is a form of rhombus. The definition of lozenge is not strictly fixed, and it is sometimes used simply as a synonym for rhombus. Most often, though, lozenge refers to a thin rhombus—a rhombus with acute angles of 45°...
s, there is a lamp of learning. Traditionally, the lozenge is worn on the arm of unmarried women or widows, which places significance on the coat of arms' lozenges as it acts as a reminder that the colleges were founded for women. Below, the motto is displayed which is taken from the arms of Bedford College, and reads esse quam videri.
The Royal Holloway shield was created following the merger of Bedford and Royal Holloway Colleges in 1985. The shield appears (in a black and white form) on legal documents and stationery for legal reasons, along with the following: "Incorporated by Act of Parliament. Royal Holloway and Bedford New College."
The use of the University's identifying marks is governed by the Corporate Identity Manual, RHUL.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni and former students of Royal Holloway College, Bedford College and RHUL include:- Chris Aldridge, British radio newsreader (BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
) - Tahmima AnamTahmima AnamTahmima Anam is a Bangladeshi writer and novelist. Her first novel, A Golden Age, was published by John Murray in 2007 and was the Best First Book winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.- Education :...
(1975—), Bangladeshi born writer and novelist - Kitty AndersonKitty AndersonKitty Anderson DBE BA PhD was Headmistress of North London Collegiate School from 1945-1965.-Early life and education:...
DBE (1903—1979) BA, PhD (1933) Headmistress North London Collegiate SchoolNorth London Collegiate SchoolNorth London Collegiate School is an independent day school for girls founded in 1850 in Camden Town, and now in the London Borough of Harrow.The Good Schools Guide called the school an "Academically stunning outer London school in a glorious setting which, in 2003, demonstrated its refusal to rest...
1945–1965 - Catherine Ashton (1956—), High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
- Dean AyassDean AyassDean Ayass is a semi-retired British wrestling manager and commentator.-Early career:Ayass grew up as a wrestling fan: in interviews, he has stated that some of his earliest memories involving watching wrestling on ITV's World of Sport programme with his father...
(1976—), British wrestling manager and commentator - Norman BakerNorman BakerNorman John Baker is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Lewes in East Sussex since 1997. Since May 2010 he has been Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Department for Transport....
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(1957—), British politician - Richard BakerRichard Baker (composer/conductor)Richard Baker is a British composer and conductor, known equally for his own highly charged and distinctive music and for his performances of contemporary music, especially the music of his contemporaries in the UK.-Life:...
(1972—), British composer and conductor - Muhammad Abdul BariMuhammad Abdul BariMuhammad Abdul Bari, MBE FRSA , is the Chairman of the East London Mosque, and was the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain from 2006 until 2010.-Life and career:...
MBEMBEMBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(1953—), Secretary general of the Muslim Council of BritainMuslim Council of BritainThe Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the... - Gregory BarkerGregory BarkerGregory Leonard George "Greg" Barker is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Bexhill and Battle...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(1966—), British politician - Debra Barr (1986—) ApprenticeThe Apprentice (UK)The Apprentice is a British reality television series in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a £100,000-a-year job as an apprentice to the British business magnate Lord Sugar in series one to six...
candidate, Series 5 - David BellamyDavid BellamyDavid James Bellamy OBE is a British author, broadcaster, environmental campaigner and botanist. He has lived in County Durham since 1960.-Career:...
OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1933—), English botanist, environmentalist, author and broadcaster - David BensonDavid BensonDavid Benson is an English character actor, writer and comedian, most famous for his one-man show entitled 'Think No Evil of Us: My Life with Kenneth Williams' about the life and career of the late comedian, for which he won the Scotsman's Fringe First award in 1996, and for his television role as...
(1962—), English comedian, writer and actor - Peter BramleyPeter BramleyPeter Bramley is an actor, director and theatre maker currently head of movement at Rose Bruford College a drama school in Kent and artistic director of theatre company Pants on Fire....
, British actor, director and theatre director - Sophie BryantSophie BryantSophie Bryant was an Anglo-Irish mathematician, educator, feminist and activist.She was the daughter of Revd Dr William Willock DD, Fellow and Tutor of Trinity College, Dublin...
(1850–1922) Anglo-Irish mathematician, educator, feminist and activist - Susan BullockSusan BullockSusan Bullock is an English soprano.She was educated at Cheadle Hulme School, and further at Royal Holloway College, University of London, the Royal Academy of Music and the National Opera Studio....
(1958—), English soprano - Helen CamHelen CamHelen Maud Cam was an English historian of the Middle Ages, born at Abingdon, Berkshire ....
CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FRHistSRoyal Historical SocietyThe Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
(1885–1968), English historian - Mark CarwardineMark CarwardineMark Carwardine is a zoologist who achieved widespread recognition for his Last Chance to See conservation expeditions with Douglas Adams, first aired on BBC Radio 4 in 1990. Since then he has become a leading and outspoken conservationist, and a prolific broadcaster, columnist and...
, Zoologist, Writer, Wildlife Photographer, TV and Radio Presenter - Richard ClarkeRichard Clarke (radio personality)Richard "Rich" Clarke is a British radio presenter and DJ from Worcester, England currently employed by Global Radio as a presenter on Capital FM and The Vodafone Big Top 40.-Student radio:...
(1978—), English Radio Presenter - Jonathan ColeJonathan ColeJonathan Cole is a British composer and professor of composition at the Royal College of Music.-Biography:...
(1970—), British composer - Ivy Compton-BurnettIvy Compton-BurnettDame Ivy Compton-Burnett, DBE was an English novelist, published as I. Compton-Burnett. She was awarded the 1955 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for her novel Mother and Son.-Life:...
(1884–1969), English novelist - John B. CosgraveJohn B. CosgraveDr. John B. Cosgrave is an Irish mathematician specialising in number theory.-Other:In January 1999, while preparing some work for his students, he identified a highly structured prime number with exactly two thousand digits...
(1946—), Irish mathematician - Richmal CromptonRichmal CromptonRichmal Crompton Lamburn was a British writer, most famous for her Just William humorous short stories and books.-Life:...
(1890–1969), English writer - James DagwellJames DagwellJames Dagwell is a British journalist. He was brought up in Devon, South London and Crowborough.-Education:Dagwell was educated at Beacon Community College, a state comprehensive school in the town of Crowborough in East Sussex, followed by Royal Holloway at the University of London, in Central...
(1974—), British journalist - Tansy DaviesTansy DaviesTansy Davies is a British composer.As a youth, Davies sang and played guitar in a rock band. She developed an interest in composition in her teens, and subsequently began music studies at the Colchester Institute in French horn and composition...
(1973—), British composer - Emily DavisonEmily DavisonEmily Wilding Davison was a militant women's suffrage activist who, on 4 June 1913, after a series of actions that were either self-destructive or violent, stepped in front of a horse running in the Epsom Derby, sustaining injuries that resulted in her death four days later.-Biography:Davison was...
(1872–1913), English suffragette activist - Edith DurhamEdith DurhamMary Edith Durham was a British traveller, artist and writer who became famous for her anthropological accounts of life in Albania in the early 20th century.-Early life:...
(1863–1944), British traveller, artist, writer and anthropologist - George EliotGeorge EliotMary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
(1819–1880), British novelist - Example (musician) (1982–), British Singer, Rapper and Songwriter
- Isabel FayIsabel FayIsabel Fay is a comedy writer and performer.Isabel graduated from Royal Holloway University of London in 2001 with a 2:1 BA Lon....
(1979—), English comedy writer and character comedian - Dame Janet Fookes DBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DLDeputy LieutenantIn the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(1936—), English politician, Conservative member of the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster.... - Norvela ForsterNorvela ForsterNorvela Felicia Forster was a United Kingdom businesswoman, exporter and politician.-Education:Born in Gillingham, Kent, Forster attended South Wilts Grammar School for Girls, Salisbury, and Bedford College, University of London where she was President of the Union Society and obtained a Bachelor...
(1931–1993) British businesswoman, exporter and politician - Emma FreudEmma FreudEmma Vallencey Freud OBE is an English broadcaster and cultural commentator.-Early life:Emma Freud was born on 25 January 1962 and is the daughter of politician and broadcaster Sir Clement Freud and June Flewett. She is the great-granddaughter of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud...
(1962—), English broadcaster and cultural commentator - Patricia GaffneyPatricia GaffneyPatricia Gaffney is an American writer of romance novels and women's fiction novels.-Biography:Patricia Gaffney was born on December 27 in Tampa, Florida United States. She is the daughter of Joem and Jim Gaffney. She and her brother, Mike, grew up in Bethesda, Maryland.Patricia graduated from...
, American author - Robert GarsideRobert GarsideRobert Garside, calling himself The Runningman, is a British runner who is credited by Guinness World Records as the first person to run around the world. Garside began his record-setting run following several aborted attempts from Cape Town, South Africa and London, England...
(1967—), English record-breaking adventurer - Pippa GuardPippa GuardPhilippa Ann Guard is a British actress.Guard was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and belongs to a well-known theatrical family, whose members include her uncle Philip Guard, cousins Christopher Guard and Dominic Guard, and younger brother Alex Guard. Her father was an engineer who moved the family to...
(1952—), English actress - Janice HadlowJanice HadlowJanice Hadlow is a British television executive. She is the current controller of the BBC television channel BBC Two, taking over this position in November 2008 having previously been controller of BBC Four....
, controller of BBC TwoBBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... - Nick HallardNick HallardNick Hallard is an artist based in Worthing in the United Kingdom, known primarily for his work on pub signs. He is the owner of Eyebright Murals, which supplies his hand-painted signs to the inn trade in the UK and beyond, as well as to private and specialist customers...
(1975—), British artist - Geoff HannanGeoff HannanGeoff Hannan is a British composer and musician born in London on 25 April 1972 to Irish parents. A music scholarship to Winchester College enabled him to study privately with Michael Finnissy from 1987 to 1990 before reading Music at the University of Manchester...
(1972—), British composer - Conor HanrattyConor HanrattyConor Hanratty is a theatre director and scholar.- Biography :Hanratty was born in Dublin, Ireland and attended Trinity College, Dublin and Royal Holloway, University of London before receiving a Japanese Government Scholarship to study at Waseda University, Tokyo.He won Best Overall Production...
(1981—), Irish theatre director and scholar - Giles HartGiles HartGiles Vernon Hart was a British engineer and trade union activist.-Early life:Hart was born in Khartoum, Sudan, when his father was head of English at Gordon College...
(1949–2005), British engineer and trade union activist - Jean HendersonJean HendersonJean Henderson was a British barrister and Liberal Party politician.-Date of Birth:According to The Times newspaper obituary of Jean Henderson, she was born on 18 December 1899 but the records of the London School of Economics and Political Science where her papers are kept, note the year of...
(1899–1997), British barristerBarristerA barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and Liberal PartyLiberal Party (UK)The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician - Alex HyndmanAlex HyndmanAlexandra Hill is a British broadcast journalist working on a freelance basis with UK news organisation ITN.-Early life:Hill was born in Grantham but grew up in Australia where she was educated at St Aloysius College, Adelaide...
British newsreader - Moussa IbrahimMoussa IbrahimMoussa Ibrahim is a Libyan political figure, serving as Libyan Minister of Information and the official spokesman for Muammar Gaddafi as of March 2011. He came to general international attention during the 2011 Libyan civil war.-Biography:...
(1974—), Gaddafi spokesman during the 2011 Libyan civil war2011 Libyan civil warThe 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security... - Robin InceRobin InceRobin Ince is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage .-Stand-up comedy:...
(1969—), English comedian - Stewart JacksonStewart JacksonStewart James Jackson is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is the Member of Parliament for Peterborough.-Early life:...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(1965—), British politician - Karena JohnsonKarena JohnsonKarena Johnson is a British Theatrical Director/Producer. She is Britain's only black female Artistic Director of a Theatre, who first started working at London's Oval House Theatre. She was Acting Artistic director at Contact theatre and Artistic Director of Kushite Theatre Company as well as...
, English theatre director - Tess KinghamTess KinghamTeresa Jane Kingham is a Labour Party United Kingdom politician. She was Member of Parliament for Gloucester from 1997-2001....
(1963—), British politician - Jessica LeeJessica Lee (politician)Jessica Katherine Lee is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, she was elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Erewash in Derbyshire in 2010...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(1976—), British politician - Kathleen LonsdaleKathleen LonsdaleDame Kathleen Lonsdale, DBE FRS was a crystallographer, who established the structure of benzene by X-ray diffraction methods in 1929, and hexachlorobenzene by Fourier spectral methods in 1931...
(1903–1971), Irish crystallographer - Dame Felicity Lott DBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1947—), English soprano - Rosemary ManningRosemary ManningRosemary Joy Manning was a British author of both adult and children's books. Her best-known adult book was The Chinese Garden and she was also well-known for her popular Dragon children's series...
(1911–1988), British author - Duncan McCargoDuncan McCargoDuncan McCargo is a professor of Southeast Asian politics at the University of Leeds specializing in Thailand and Asia-related topics. He holds three degrees from the University of London: a First in English ; then an MA in Area Studies , and a PhD in Politics...
, British academic - Roxanne McKeeRoxanne McKee-Biography:After completing a BA degree in 2001 in Social Policy & Political Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, McKee rose to fame by winning Hollyoaks On The Pull, a Channel 4 initiative to discover new talent for the popular British soap Hollyoaks...
(1982—), British actress and model - Laura Moore Candidate in The Apprentice series six
- Paul NewlandPaul NewlandPaul Newland is a British composer of contemporary classical music. He has won numerous prizes, including the RPS Composition Prize 1990, a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award in 1993, and in 1995 he was awarded the Royal Academy of Music's Josiah Parker Prize by György Ligeti...
(1966—), British composer - Louisa MartindaleLouisa MartindaleDr. Louisa Martindale, CBE, MB/BS , FRCOG, JP was an English physician, surgeon, and writer. She also served as magistrate on the Brighton bench, was a prison commissioner and a member of the National Council of Women...
CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FRCOGRoyal College of Obstetricians and GynaecologistsThe Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a professional association based in the UK. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is, pregnancy, childbirth, and female sexual and reproductive health...
(1872–1966), British physician and surgeon - Jojo MoyesJojo MoyesJojo Moyes is a British novelist.Moyes studied at Royal Holloway, University of London. She won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to study journalism at City University, London and subsequently worked for The Independent for 10 years. In 2001 she became a full time novelist...
(1969—), British novelist - Mary NightingaleMary NightingaleMary Nightingale is an English newsreader and television presenter. She is a newsreader for ITN on ITV News, and presents the cookery series Britain's Best Dish on ITV1.-Education:...
(1964—), British newsreader - Simon NyeSimon NyeSimon Nye is an English comic television writer, best known for creating the hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly, writing all of the four ITV Panto, co-writing the 2006 film Flushed Away, co-writing Reggie Perrin and creating the latest adaption of William Brown in the Just William CBBC...
(1958—), English comic television writer - Lucy OwenLucy OwenLucy Owen is a Welsh television news reader.-Early life:Owen attended Howell's School in Llandaff, Cardiff, and graduated from the Royal Holloway, University of London in English.-Career:...
(1970—), Welsh newsreader - Jennifer PageJennifer Page (Millennium Dome)Jennifer Anne "Jennie" Page, CBE was Chief Executive of the London Millennium Dome project from 1 March 1995 until she was fired after a flawed opening night and poor early attendance at the start of 2000.-Education:...
CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1944—), former chief executive of the London Millennium DomeMillennium DomeThe Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
project - Ewan PearsonEwan PearsonEwan Pearson is an English electronic music producer/remixer who works under various aliases including Maas, Sulky Pup, Villa America, World of Apples, and Dirtbox. He is also in Partial Arts with Al Usher. He has remixed for artists such as Cortney Tidwell, Seelenluft, Ladytron, Depeche Mode,...
(1972—), British music producer - Andrew PoppyAndrew PoppyAndrew Poppy is an English composer, pianist, and record producer.-Biography:From 1974 to 1979 he studied music at Royal Holloway College and Goldsmiths College University of London, studying piano with Susan Bradshaw and earning a B.M...
(1954—), British composer, pianist and music producer - Jenny Randerson (1948—), Welsh Liberal Democrat politician
- Sophie RobinsonSophie RobinsonSophie Robinson is a contemporary English poet.Her creative and critical work has been published in Pilot, How2, Dusie, and the anthologies Voice Recognition: 21 Poets for the 21st Century and The Reality Street Book of Sonnets . She has performed her work in Ireland, as part of the SoundEye...
, contemporary English poet - Joe SawardJoe SawardJoe Saward is a British Formula One journalist. He was educated at Haileybury College and attained a degree in history at Bedford College, University of London. In 1984 he joined Autosport magazine in London. He began reporting on Formula One in 1988, working alongside Nigel Roebuck and remained...
(1961—), British Formula One journalist - Andy Sheridan, Rugby Union,Sale Sharks and England
- Jacqueline SimpsonJacqueline SimpsonDr. Jacqueline Simpson is a United Kingdom researcher and author on folklore and legend.She studied English Literature and Medieval Icelandic at Bedford College, University of London. Dr. Simpson has been, at various times, Editor, Secretary, and President of the Folklore Society. She was awarded...
(1930—), British author and folklorist - China SoulChina SoulChina Soul is an American-British singer/songwriter. Her debut album Secrets & Words was released in the UK on 25 October 2010 through AS:Music. She is the daughter of actor/singer David Soul and actress Julia Nickson-Soul.-Career:...
(1988—) American-British singer/songwriter - Andrew StephensonAndrew StephensonAndrew Stephenson is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Pendle in Lancashire since the 2010 general election. Formerly a borough councillor in Macclesfield, he worked as an insurance broker before becoming an MP.-Early life and education:Stephenson...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(1981—), British politician - Frances StevensonFrances StevensonFrances Stevenson, Countess Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, CBE was the mistress, personal secretary, confidante and second wife of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George....
(1888–1972), British personal secretary and second wife of Prime Minister David Lloyd George - Mark StrongMark StrongMark Strong is an English actor, with a body of work in both films and television. He has performed in films as varied as Body of Lies, Syriana, The Young Victoria, Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla, Stardust, and Kick-Ass...
(1963—), English actor - Joby TalbotJoby TalbotJoby Talbot is a British composer.Born in Wimbledon, London, Talbot studied composition at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Brian Elias and Simon Bainbridge....
(1971—), British composer - Eva Germaine Rimington TaylorEva Germaine Rimington TaylorEva Germaine Rimington Taylor was an English geographer and historian of science, the first woman to hold an academic chair of geography in the United Kingdom....
(1871–1966), English geographer and historian of science - Simon ThurleySimon ThurleySimon John Thurley, CBE, FRIBA, F.R.Hist.S. is an academic and architectural historian, and the present Chief Executive of English Heritage .-Early life and education:...
(1963—), British architectural historian - Carol TownendCarol TownendCarol Townend is a writer of historical romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon. Her novels are generally set in Medieval England and Europe. Her first novel won the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award...
(1953—), English author - KT TunstallKT TunstallKate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
(1975—), Scottish singer and songwriter - Valerie VazValerie VazValerie Carol Marian Vaz is a British politician and lawyer. A member of the Labour Party, she has served as the Member of Parliament for Walsall South since the 2010 general election.-Background:Vaz was born in Aden, Yemen...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, British politician - Ronald Alan WaldronRonald Alan WaldronRonald Alan Waldron is an English medievalist, considered a pre-eminent expert in the field of early English literature. He wrote many books and was a lecturer at the University of Aarhus in Denmark and King's College London...
(1927—), English medievalist - André WalkerAndré WalkerAndré John Paul Walker is a political and media figure from the United Kingdom.Walker was the presenter of Channel M television's political talk show, Gloves Off, in 2004...
(1979—), British political and media figure - Francis WheenFrancis WheenFrancis James Baird Wheen is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster.-Early life and education:Wheen was born into an army family and educated at two independent schools: Copthorne Preparatory School near Crawley, West Sussex and Harrow School in north west London.-Life and career:Running...
(1957—), British journalist, writer and broadcaster - John Scott Whiteley (1950—), Organist at York Minster and in 21st century Bach (BBC TV/Associated Rediffusion)
- Derek YaldenDerek YaldenDr Derek William Yalden, B.Sc., Ph.D. is a zoologist and an Honorary Reader at the University of Manchester.After obtaining a 1st Class B.Sc. University College London in 1962, he completed his PhD on carpal bones in mammals at Royal Holloway College, under Prof. P. M. Butler, in 1965...
, English zoologist, Reader at the University of ManchesterUniversity of ManchesterThe University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
Notable staff
The following is a partial list of notable office-holders, academics and others who have spent time teaching or conducting research:- H. B. ActonH. B. ActonHarry Burrows Acton was a British academic in the field of political philosophy, known for books defending the morality of capitalism, and attacking Marxism-Leninism. He in particular produced arguments on the incoherence of Marxism, which he described as a 'farrago'...
, Taught political philosophy - Philip Allen, Baron Allen of AbbeydalePhilip Allen, Baron Allen of AbbeydalePhilip Allen, Baron Allen of Abbeydale, GCB was a British civil servant.-Education and early life:...
Member of college council at the time of the merger with Bedford College - Khizar Humayun AnsariKhizar Humayun AnsariProfessor Khizar Humayun Ansari is a British academic who was awarded an OBE in 2002 for his work in the field of race and ethnic relations.Professor Ansari has a PhD from the University of London...
OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Director of the Centre for Ethnic Minority Studies - Geoffrey AldermanGeoffrey AldermanGeoffrey Alderman is a British historian, especially of the Jewish community in England in the 19th and 20th centuries, and also an academic, political adviser and award-winning journalist.-Life:...
RSA, Professor of politics and contemporary history - Giovanni AquilecchiaGiovanni AquilecchiaGiovanni Aquilecchia, was Professor of Italian at Bedford College, London, and the merged college with Royal Holloway, University of London...
Professor of Italian and Italian Renaissance scholar - Gillian BaileyGillian BaileyGillian Bailey or Gilli Bush-Bailey is a British academic and former actress.She was mainly known as a child actor. Her best known role was Billie in Here Come the Double Deckers...
, Fellow in theatre studies - George BargerGeorge BargerGeorge Barger FRS was a British chemist.He was born to an English mother and Dutch father in Manchester, England. He was educated at The Hague High School and King's College, Cambridge. His main work focused on the study of alkaloids and investigations of simple nitrogenous compounds of biological...
, Professor of chemistry - Francis BerryFrancis BerryFrancis Berry was a British academic, poet, critic and translator.He was born in Ipoh, Malaya, and educated at the University of London and the University of Exeter. After serving as a soldier, and then as a schoolteacher in Malta, he held various appointments in English literature...
, Professor of English literature - Luiza BialasiewiczLuiza BialasiewiczDr. Luiza Bialasiewicz is an academic, and senior lecturer in Human Geography within the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway. She has held the post since September 2006. From 2000-2006 she was based in the Department of Geography at the University of Durham. Dr. Bialasiewicz obtained her...
, Senior lecturer in Human Geography - Mary BoyceMary BoyceNora Elisabeth Mary Boyce was a British scholar of Iranian languages, and an authority on Zoroastrianism...
, Taught Anglo-Saxon literature and archaeology - David BradbyDavid BradbyProfessor David Bradby was a drama and theatre academic with particular research interests in French theatre, Modernist / Postmodernist theatre, the role of the director and the Theatre of the Absurd. He wrote extensively on the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Roger Planchon, Jacques Lecoq, Arthur...
, Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies - Kai BrodersenKai BrodersenKai Brodersen is a contemporary ancient historian and classicist on the faculty of the University of Erfurt. He has edited, and translated, both ancient works and modern classical studies...
, Visiting professor in ancient history and classics - Jonathan BurrowsJonathan BurrowsJonathan Burrows is one of the UK’s leading choreographers. He performs around the world, with 43 international tour dates in 2007.`He started his career as a soloist with The Royal Ballet in London, but formed the Jonathan Burrows Group in 1988 to present his own work.The company travelled widely...
, Visiting professor of drama and theatre - Chris CareyChris CareyChris Carey is Professor of Greek at University College London . In April 2000 The Independent named him as one of the "stars of modern classical scholarship".-Biography:...
, Professor of classics - David CesaraniDavid CesaraniDavid Cesarani OBE is an English historian who specialises in Jewish history, especially the Holocaust. He has also written several biographies, notably Arthur Koestler: The Homeless Mind.-Early life:...
, OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Research Professor in History - Justin ChampionJustin ChampionProfessor Justin Champion is a British academic who was head of the department of history at Royal Holloway, University of London between 2005 and 2010. He continues in post at the college.Professor Champion is a strong proponent of public history...
, Professor of the History of Early Modern Ideas - Alexey ChervonenkisAlexey ChervonenkisAlexey Jakovlevich Chervonenkis is a Soviet and Russian mathematician, and, with Vladimir Vapnik, was one of the main developers of the Vapnik–Chervonenkis theory, also known as the "fundamental theory of learning" an important part of computational learning theory. As of September 2007, Dr...
, Professor of computer science - Christopher CocksworthChristopher CocksworthChristopher John Cocksworth is a Church of England cleric in the open evangelical tradition. He is the current Bishop of Coventry. He is the youngest serving diocesan bishop in the Church of England. He was consecrated as bishop in Southwark Cathedral, London on 3 July 2008 and was enthroned on...
, College chaplain, now Bishop of CoventryBishop of CoventryThe Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary of the England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichfield.... - Peter ConradPeter Conrad (sociologist)Peter Conrad is an American medical sociologist who has researched and published on numerous topics including ADHD, the medicalization of deviance, the experience of illness, wellness in the workplace, genetics in the news, and biomedical enhancements.-Biography:He has been a member of the faculty...
, Visiting professor in sociology - Nicholas CookNicholas CookNicholas Cook is a British musicologist and writer born in Athens, Greece. In 2009 he became the 1684 Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge, where he is a Fellow of Darwin College...
, Professorial research fellow in music - Tim CresswellTim CresswellTim Cresswell is a human geographer at the Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London. He is the author of four books on the role of space and mobility in cultural life.-Education:After attending Woolverstone Hall School, he received his B.A...
, Professor of human geography - J. Mordaunt CrookJ. Mordaunt CrookProfessor Joseph Mordaunt Crook, CBE, FBA, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, D.Phil, MA, generally known as J. Mordaunt Crook, is an English architectural historian and specialist on the Georgian and Victorian periods...
, Professor of architectural history - Hilda Ellis Davidson, Lecturer in archaeology and anthropology
- Whitfield DiffieWhitfield DiffieBailey Whitfield 'Whit' Diffie is an American cryptographer and one of the pioneers of public-key cryptography.Diffie and Martin Hellman's paper New Directions in Cryptography was published in 1976...
, Visiting professor at the information security group - Roland DobbsRoland DobbsRoland Dobbs is a British physicist, best known for his work in physical acoustics.- Education :Professor Dobbs was educated at Ilford County High School, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet and University College London....
, Emeritus professor of physics - Klaus DoddsKlaus DoddsKlaus Dodds is Professor of Geopolitics at Royal Holloway, University of London.He was educated at Wellington College and the University of Bristol where he completed degrees in geography and political science...
FRGSRoyal Geographical SocietyThe Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
, Professor of geopolitics - Michael EysenckMichael EysenckMichael William Eysenck is a British academic psychologist, and currently a professor in the psychology department of Roehampton University. His research focuses on cognitive factors affecting anxiety. Eysenck has written and co-written many publications, including several textbooks...
, (Now Emeritus) Professor of Psychology - Giles FodenGiles FodenGiles Foden is an English author best known for his award-winning novel The Last King of Scotland .-Biography:Giles Foden was born in Warwickshire in 1967. His family moved to Malawi in 1971 where he was raised...
, Fellow in creative and performing arts - Matt Fullerty, Novelist and lecturer in creative writing
- Helen Gardner, Assistant lecturer in English literature
- Edith HallEdith HallEdith Hall is a British scholar of classics and cultural history, and from 2006 until 2011 held a Research Chair at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she directed the Centre for the Reception of Greece and Rome until November 2011, when she resigned over dispute regarding funding for...
, Professor of Classics and Drama - Glyn HarmanGlyn HarmanGlyn Harman is a British mathematician working in analytic number theory. One of his major interests is prime number theory. He is best known for results on gaps between primes and the greatest prime factor of p + a, as well as his lower bound for the number of Carmichael numbers up to X...
, Professor of mathematics - John F HealyJohn F HealyProfessor John Healy was a senior scholar and graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge. He served in the Army then entered an academic career in Classics/Classical Archaeology at Manchester and London Universities. He was the sometime curator of Greek coins at Manchester Museum and President of the...
, Professor of Classics and Archaeology - Dame Olwen HuftonOlwen HuftonDame Olwen H. Hufton, DBE, FBA, FRHistS is a historian of early modern Europe and a pioneer of social history and of women's history. Hufton is an expert on Early Modern, western European comparative socio-cultural history with special emphasis on gender, poverty, social relations, religion and work...
DBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FBABritish AcademyThe British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
FRHistSRoyal Historical SocietyThe Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
, Professorial Research Fellow in the History Department - Jonathan HolmesJonathan Holmes (theatre director)Jonathan Holmes is a UK theatre director and writer. He attended Wath Comprehensive School, The University of Birmingham and completed a Ph.D at The Shakespeare Institute...
, Senior lecturer in drama - Joan M. HusseyJoan M. HusseyJoan Mervyn Hussey , MA PhD FSA FRHistS was a British Byzantine scholar and historian.-Education:...
, Professor of history - Sharman KadishSharman KadishSharman Kadish is a contemporary scholar, author, and historian with particular expertise in Jewish British history and with several publications under her name. Of particular note is her monograph, Bolsheviks and British Jews...
, Scholar of Jewish British history - Peter KnightPeter Knight (scientist)Sir Peter Knight, FRS is a British physicist, Professor of Quantum Optics and Senior Research Investigator Imperial College London, and Principal of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre. He was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2005. He was president of the Optical Society of...
, Jubilee research fellow in quantum optics - Robert LathamRobert Latham (editor)Robert Clifford Latham, CBE , MA, FBA was Fellow and Pepys Librarian of Magdalene College, Cambridge and joint author of the The Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1970-83....
, Reader in history and dean of men - Robert LethbridgeRobert LethbridgeProfessor Robert Lethbridge has been the Master of Fitzwilliam College since 2005, during which time the College has fallen to its lowest position in the Tompkins Table since 1997, when the constituent colleges of Cambridge University were first ranked in terms of their results across the full...
, Chair of French Language and Literature, Head of Department, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice-Principal - Roger LockyerRoger LockyerRoger Lockyer is an English historian, professor, and writer. He has been a Reader in History at Royal Holloway, University of London, from which he is now retired...
, Reader in History, specialist in Tudor and Stuart Britain - Peter LongerichPeter LongerichProfessor Peter Longerich is a German historian.In 2002-03, Professor Longerich was the third holder of the Visiting Chair at the Fritz Bauer Institute in Frankfurt. In 2003-04, he was J.B...
, Director of the Research Centre for the Holocaust and 20th century History - J. D. MackieJ. D. MackieJohn Duncan Mackie CBE MC Hon. LLD was a distinguished Scottish historian who wrote a one-volume history of Scotland as well as several works on early modern Scotland....
, Professor of modern history - Ursula MartinUrsula MartinUrsula Martin is a British computer scientist. She is Vice-Principal of Science and Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London and a Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science there....
, Taught in the computer science department - William McCreaWilliam McCrea (astronomer)Sir William Hunter McCrea FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician.-Biography:His family moved to Kent in 1906 and then Derbyshire where he attended Chesterfield Grammar School. His father was a school master at Netherthorpe Grammar School in Staveley...
, Professor of mathematics - Andrew MotionAndrew MotionSir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...
FRSLRoyal Society of LiteratureThe Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
, Poet LaureatePoet LaureateA poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
, Professor of Creative Writing - Sean MurphySean Murphy (cryptographer)Sean Murphy is a cryptographer, currently a professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. He worked on the NESSIE and ECRYPT projects. His notable research includes the cryptanalysis of FEAL and the Advanced Encryption Standard, and the use of stochastic and statistical techniques in...
, Professor of cryptology - David NaccacheDavid NaccacheDavid Naccache is a cryptographer, currently a professor at the Pantheon-Assas Paris II University and member of the École normale supérieure's Computer Laboratory. He is also a visiting professor at Royal Holloway University of London's Information Security Group. He received his Ph.D. in 1995...
, Visiting professor at the information security group - Anthony J. NaldrettAnthony J. NaldrettAnthony James "Tony" Naldrett, FRSC is a Canadian geologist. He is an authority on the geology and origin of nickel-copper-platinum group element deposits, the tectonic setting in which they occur, the petrology of associated rocks, and controls on their composition...
, Visiting professor of geology - Meredith OakesMeredith OakesMeredith Oakes is an Australian playwright who has lived in London since 1970. She has written plays, adaptations, translations, opera texts and poems, and taught play-writing at Royal Holloway College and for the Arvon Foundation....
, taught play-writing - Ben O'LoughlinBen O'LoughlinBen O'Loughlin is Professor of International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is Co-Director of the New Political Communication Unit, which was launched in 2007 by Professor Andrew Chadwick. Before joining Royal Holloway in September 2006 he was a researcher on the ESRC New...
, Professor of International Relations, Co-Director, New Political Communication Unit - Lillian PensonLillian PensonDame Lillian Penson, DBE was a professor of modern history at the University of London, and the first woman to serve as Vice-Chancellor of the university....
, Professor of modern history - Kevin PoréeKevin PoréeKevin Porée is a British record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger and recording engineer who is best known for his work with Mark Hole, Paul Young, Los Pacaminos, Senser, Joy Tobing, Hiding in Public, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, Charlotte Gordon Cumming and for his associations with...
, Record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, recording engineer and lecturer in theatre studies, communication theory and popular arts - H. F. M. PrescottH. F. M. PrescottHilda Frances Margaret Prescott, more usually known as H. F. M. Prescott , was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, author, academic, and historian.-Biography:...
, Jubilee research fellow on Thomas Wolsey - Boris RankovBoris RankovBoris Rankov is a professor of Roman history at Royal Holloway, University of London. He was born August 9, 1954.Educated at Bradford Grammar School , then subsequently Corpus Christi College, Oxford , Professor Rankov is perhaps best known for his participation in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race,...
, Professor of Roman history - Dan RebellatoDan RebellatoDan Rebellato is an English dramatist and academic born in South London.He is Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London and has written extensively for radio and the stage. He has twice been nominated for a Sony Award, and writes regularly for The Guardian Theatre...
, Professor of Contemporary Theatre - Jonathan Riley-SmithJonathan Riley-SmithJonathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith, K.St.J., Ph.D. MA, Litt.D., FRHistS is an historian of the Crusades, and a former Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History...
FRHistSRoyal Historical SocietyThe Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
, taught in the history department - Adam Roberts, Teaches literature and creative writing
- Eric Robertson, Professor of Modern French Literary and Visual Culture
- Francis RobinsonFrancis RobinsonProfessor Francis Christopher Rowland Robinson is a British academic who was awarded a CBE in 2006 for his services to higher education and his research into the history of Islam....
CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FRAS, Professor of the History of South Asia - Matt RobshawMatt RobshawMatthew John Barton "Matt" Robshaw is a cryptographer. Formerly a lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, Robshaw currently belongs to the cryptography research group at France Telecom's Orange Labs. He also coordinates the Symmetric Techniques Virtual Lab for ECRYPT...
, Lecturer in cryptology - Conrad Russell, 5th Earl RussellConrad Russell, 5th Earl RussellConrad Sebastian Robert Russell, 5th Earl Russell was a British historian and politician. His parents were the philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell and Patricia Russell...
, Reader in history - Nigel SaulNigel SaulProfessor Nigel Saul is a British academic who was formerly the Head of the Department of History at Royal Holloway, University of London...
, Professor of Medieval History - Andrew SentanceAndrew SentanceAndrew Sentance is Senior Economic Adviser to PwC, a position he took up in November 2011. He was an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England from October 2006 to May 2011.-Qualifications:...
, visiting professor - David SkinnerDavid Skinner (musicologist)Dr David Skinner is Director of Music at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He co-founded the Cardinall's Musick and Magdala....
, Taught in the music department - Jo ShapcottJo ShapcottJo Shapcott FRSL, is an English poet, editor and lecturer who has won the National Poetry Competition, the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, the Costa Book of the Year Award, a Forward Poetry Prize and the Cholmondeley Award.-Career:...
CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Poet and lecturer in creative writing - Oskar SpateOskar SpateOskar Hermann Khristian Spate was a geographer best known for his role in strengthening geography as a discipline in Australia and the Pacific....
, Lecturer in Geography - Ray SolomonoffRay SolomonoffRay Solomonoff was the inventor of algorithmic probability, and founder of algorithmic information theory, He was an originator of the branch of artificial intelligence based on machine learning, prediction and probability...
, Visiting professor at the Computer Research Learning Centre - Anthony StockwellAnthony StockwellProfessor Anthony John "Tony" Stockwell is a British academic. He is considered to be one of the UK's leading researchers into the history of British imperialism and decolonisation in Southeast Asia....
FRAS, Professor of Modern History - Alex Stokes, Lecturer in physics
- Samuel TolanskySamuel TolanskySamuel Tolansky born Turlausky BSc DThPT PhD PhD DSc FRAS FRSA FInstP FRS. He was nominated for a Nobel Prize, has a crater on the moon named after him near the Apollo 14 landing site and he was a principal investigator to the NASA lunar project known as the Apollo program.-Personal life:His...
FRSRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
FRAS, Professor of physics - Margaret TukeMargaret TukeDame Margaret Janson "Meta" Tuke, MA, DBE was a British academic and educator, was the youngest child of James Hack Tuke.-Education:...
, Former principal of Bedford College - Vladimir VapnikVladimir VapnikVladimir Naumovich Vapnik is one of the main developers of Vapnik–Chervonenkis theory. He was born in the Soviet Union. He received his master's degree in mathematics at the Uzbek State University, Samarkand, Uzbek SSR in 1958 and Ph.D in statistics at the Institute of Control Sciences, Moscow in...
, Professor of Computer Science and Statistics - Nathan WidderNathan WidderNathan Widder is an American-born political philosopher whose work engages with the history of Western political thought and philosophy, contemporary Continental philosophy, and feminist political theory....
, Head of Politics and International Relations Department.
Royal Holloway College including the merged college
- Matilda Ellen BishopMatilda Ellen BishopMatilda Ellen Bishop was the first Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London. Her father was a scholarly Church of England clergyman.-Early life:...
, first principal of the college (1887–1897) - Dame Emily PenroseEmily PenroseDame Emily Penrose, DBE was Principal of Somerville College, Oxford University from 1907 until 1926. She was the second of five children and eldest of the four daughters of Francis Cranmer Penrose, architect and archaeologist.-Career:Penrose, who never married, was emblematic of the history of...
, second principal of the college (1898–1907) and former principal of Bedford College - Ellen Charlotte HigginsEllen Charlotte HigginsEllen Charlotte Higgins was the third Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London from 1907-1935...
, alumna and third principal of the college (1907–1935) - Janet Ruth BaconJanet Ruth BaconJanet Ruth Bacon was the daughter of a barrister and was Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London from 1935-44. She was unmarried.-Education:...
(1935–1944) - Fanny StreetFanny StreetFanny Street was Acting Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London from 1944-1945. Her brother was Arthur George Street author of Farmer's Glory.-Education:...
, alumna, founder of Hillcroft CollegeHillcroft CollegeHillcroft College is a residential adult education college for women, located in Surbiton area of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in South London, England, ....
and acting principal {1944–1945} - Dr Edith Clara BathoEdith Clara BathoDr Edith Clara Batho was Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London from 1945-1962.-Education:She was educated at Highbury Hill High School, now Highbury Fields School in Islington, London...
(1945–1962) - Dame Marjorie WilliamsonMarjorie WilliamsonDame Elsie Marjorie Williamson, DBE was a British academic, educator, physicist and university administrator.-Education:...
DBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
alumna, British academic, educator, physicist and university administrator (1962–1973) - Dr Lionel ButlerLionel Harry ButlerDr Lionel Butler FRHistS MA DPhil was an academic and Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London from 1973-1981.-Education and war service:...
first male principal (1973–1981) - Dr Roy MillerRoy Miller (principal)Roy Frank Miller is a British academic, educator, physicist and university administrator. He was Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London from 1982-85.-Education:He was educated at Wembley County Grammar School...
alumnus and last principal before the merger with Bedford College (1982–1985) - Professor Dorothy Wedderburn last principal of Bedford College and authority on poverty and the welfare state. First principal of the merged college (1985–1990)
- Professor Norman Gowar (1990–2000)
- Sir Drummond Bone (2000–2002)
- Professor Stephen Hill (2002–2009)
- Professor Paul Layzell (2010– )
Bedford College
- Elizabeth Jesser ReidElizabeth Jesser ReidElizabeth Jesser Reid , was an English social reformer, anti-slavery activist and philanthropist. She is best remembered as the founder of Bedford College....
Founder (1849–1864) then run by committee until first Principal appointed - Dame Emily PenroseEmily PenroseDame Emily Penrose, DBE was Principal of Somerville College, Oxford University from 1907 until 1926. She was the second of five children and eldest of the four daughters of Francis Cranmer Penrose, architect and archaeologist.-Career:Penrose, who never married, was emblematic of the history of...
First Principal (1893–1898) also Royal Holloway (1898–1907) - Ethel Hurlbatt (1898–1906)
- Dame Margaret Jansen TukeMargaret TukeDame Margaret Janson "Meta" Tuke, MA, DBE was a British academic and educator, was the youngest child of James Hack Tuke.-Education:...
(1907–1929) - Geraldine Emma May Jebb (1930–1951)
- Norah Lillian Penston (1951–1964)
- Dorothy Wedderburn, last Principal of Bedford College (1981–1985)
See also
- Bedford College
- Holloway SanatoriumHolloway SanatoriumHolloway Sanatorium was an institution for the treatment of the insane, located on of parkland near the town of Virginia Water, Surrey, within the boundary of the Greater London Urban Area, about south-west of Charing Cross....
– the other of Holloway's great philanthropic institutions, opened two years earlier in nearby Virginia Water - University of London Institute in ParisUniversity of London Institute in ParisThe University of London Institute in Paris is a college of the University of London located in Paris. It is currently the only UK University Institute in Continental Europe.-History:...
(ULIP)
External links
- Royal Holloway, University of London official website
- Students' Union of Royal Holloway, University of London official website
- Insanity Radio official website
- The Founder official website
- The Orbital official website
- RAE Assessment 2008 Results
- The Pioneers: A website for the first male intake, 1965
- Royal Holloway, University of London student lists
- Pathé video of Queen Mary's visit to the college in 1937