Russell Group
Encyclopedia
The Russell Group is a collaboration of twenty UK universities that together receive two-thirds of research grant and contract funding in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1994 to represent their interests to the government, parliament
and other similar bodies. The Russell Group contains many of the United Kingdom's leading universities; 18 of its 20 members are in the top 20 in terms of research funding. Nineteen smaller research universities formed the 1994 Group
in response.
The University Alliance
, million+, and the 1994 Group
are its fellow university membership groups across the HE sector.
In May 2004, Russell Group universities accounted for 65% (over £1.8 billion) of UK universities' research grant and contract income, 56% of all doctorates awarded in the United Kingdom, and over 30% of all students studying in the United Kingdom from outside the EU. In the 2001 national Research Assessment Exercise, 78% of the staff in Grade 5* departments and 57% of the staff in Grade 5 departments were located in Russell Group universities, and in 2004/5 Russell Group universities were allocated approximately 64% of the total quality-related research funding (QR) allocated by the Funding Councils.
Obtaining a place at a Russell Group university is, very often, a competitive process. The 20 universities take in approximately 75,000 new first-year students each year. In the academic year 2008-09, about 8 people applied per available place in Russell Group institutions.
, London, generally shortly before meetings of Universities UK
(formerly known as Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals, or CVCP) in Tavistock Square
.
. The current membership of the Group is:
It works towards these objectives by lobbying the UK government and parliament by commissioning reports and research, creating a forum in which the universities can discuss issues of common concern and identify ways to work together.
. Dr Wendy Piatt
was appointed in January 2007 as Director General. Formerly, she worked as Deputy Director in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and as former head of education at the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).
(HEFCE) in 2007/8, the top 15 universities were all Russell Group institutions. LSE
was 21st, due to its focus on less lucrative social science research. Queen's University Belfast, Cardiff
, Glasgow
and Edinburgh
, were not included in this table, as they are not English institutions. The Russell Group institutions received 82% of the total HEFCE research funding allocation.
The research funding figures depend on factors other than the quality of research, in particular there are variations due to institutional size and subject spread (e.g. science, technology and medicine tend to attract more money).
In 2008, 18 of the 20 members were positioned in the top 20 of Research Fortnight
's Research Assessment Exercise
'Power' Table (the other two places being occupied by non-Russell Group members, Durham University
and Queen Mary, University of London
).
In 2009/10, 19 of the 20 UK universities with the highest income from research grants and contracts were members of the Russell Group.
Notes:
a Name in bold text denotes membership of the Russell Group
Notes:
a National ranking; latest available year (2012-13)
b Global ranking; latest available year (2011-2012)
c Global ranking; latest available year (2010-11)
as a parallel organisation to represent the common interests of their students.
has argued that the Russell Group acts out of protectionist interests. It is claimed that this will "restrict competition, discourage innovation and encourage inefficiency, thereby depriving students of lower prices and/or greater choice".
would not be sufficient to cover the rising cost of undergraduate teaching, and successfully argued for the right to charge variable fees at much higher rates, so-called top-up fees
.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and other similar bodies. The Russell Group contains many of the United Kingdom's leading universities; 18 of its 20 members are in the top 20 in terms of research funding. Nineteen smaller research universities formed the 1994 Group
1994 Group
The 1994 Group is a coalition of 19 top "smaller research-intensive universities" in the United Kingdom founded in 1994 to defend their interests following the creation of the Russell Group by larger research-intensive universities earlier that year...
in response.
The University Alliance
University Alliance
The University Alliance is a group of 23 British universities which focus mainly on business.As major providers of professional and postgraduate education, Alliance universities work with 27% of all UK students.-Members:...
, million+, and the 1994 Group
1994 Group
The 1994 Group is a coalition of 19 top "smaller research-intensive universities" in the United Kingdom founded in 1994 to defend their interests following the creation of the Russell Group by larger research-intensive universities earlier that year...
are its fellow university membership groups across the HE sector.
In May 2004, Russell Group universities accounted for 65% (over £1.8 billion) of UK universities' research grant and contract income, 56% of all doctorates awarded in the United Kingdom, and over 30% of all students studying in the United Kingdom from outside the EU. In the 2001 national Research Assessment Exercise, 78% of the staff in Grade 5* departments and 57% of the staff in Grade 5 departments were located in Russell Group universities, and in 2004/5 Russell Group universities were allocated approximately 64% of the total quality-related research funding (QR) allocated by the Funding Councils.
Obtaining a place at a Russell Group university is, very often, a competitive process. The 20 universities take in approximately 75,000 new first-year students each year. In the academic year 2008-09, about 8 people applied per available place in Russell Group institutions.
Etymology
The Russell Group is so named because the first informal meetings of the Group took place at the Russell Hotel in Russell SquareRussell Square
Russell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Museum. To the north is Woburn Place and to the south-east is Southampton Row...
, London, generally shortly before meetings of Universities UK
Universities UK
Universities UK began life as the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century when there were informal meetings involving Vice-Chancellors of a number of universities and Principals of university colleges...
(formerly known as Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals, or CVCP) in Tavistock Square
Tavistock Square
Tavistock Square is a public square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden with a fine garden.-Public art:The centre-piece of the gardens is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, which was installed in 1968....
.
Members
16 members are from England, two from Scotland, one from Wales and one from Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The current membership of the Group is:
- University of BirminghamUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
- University of BristolUniversity of BristolThe University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
- University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
- Cardiff UniversityCardiff UniversityCardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
- University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
- University of GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
- Imperial College LondonImperial College LondonImperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
- King's College LondonKing's College LondonKing'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...
(University of LondonUniversity 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...
) - University College LondonUniversity College LondonUniversity 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...
(University of LondonUniversity 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...
) - University of LeedsUniversity of LeedsThe University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
- University of LiverpoolUniversity of LiverpoolThe University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
- London School of Economics and Political Science (University of LondonUniversity 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...
) - 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...
- Newcastle University
- University of NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
- University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
- Queen's University Belfast
- University of SheffieldUniversity of SheffieldThe University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
- University of SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonThe University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
- University of WarwickUniversity of WarwickThe University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
Objectives
The Russell Group states that its objectives are to:- lead the UK's research effort;
- maximise income for its member institutions;
- attract the best staff and students to those institutions;
- create the regulatory environment in which it can achieve these objectives by reducing government interference; and
- identify ways to co-operate in order to exploit the universities' collaborative advantage.
It works towards these objectives by lobbying the UK government and parliament by commissioning reports and research, creating a forum in which the universities can discuss issues of common concern and identify ways to work together.
Leadership
The group is chaired by Professor Michael Arthur, Vice Chancellor of University of LeedsUniversity of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
. Dr Wendy Piatt
Wendy Piatt
Wendy Piatt was appointed Director General of The Russell Group of UK universities in January 2007.-Life:Piatt was born on the Wirral, and went to convent school in Birkenhead....
was appointed in January 2007 as Director General. Formerly, she worked as Deputy Director in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and as former head of education at the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).
Research funding
In terms of total research funding allocations from the Higher Education Funding Council for EnglandHigher 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...
(HEFCE) in 2007/8, the top 15 universities were all Russell Group institutions. 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...
was 21st, due to its focus on less lucrative social science research. Queen's University Belfast, Cardiff
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, were not included in this table, as they are not English institutions. The Russell Group institutions received 82% of the total HEFCE research funding allocation.
The research funding figures depend on factors other than the quality of research, in particular there are variations due to institutional size and subject spread (e.g. science, technology and medicine tend to attract more money).
In 2008, 18 of the 20 members were positioned in the top 20 of Research Fortnight
Research Fortnight
Research Fortnight is a subscription newsletter covering research policy in the UK.Research Fortnight was founded in 1994 by William Cullerne Bown, then a reporter at New Scientist...
's 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...
'Power' Table (the other two places being occupied by non-Russell Group members, Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
and 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...
).
In 2009/10, 19 of the 20 UK universities with the highest income from research grants and contracts were members of the Russell Group.
| Universitya | Research income (£,000) | |
| 1 | University of Oxford University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... |
367,000 |
| 2 | Imperial College London Imperial College London Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine... |
296,800 |
| 3 | 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... |
275,061 |
| 4 | University of Cambridge University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... |
267,700 |
| 5 | University of Manchester University of Manchester The 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... |
194,603 |
| 6 | University of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university... |
185,279 |
| 7 | 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... |
144,053 |
| 8 | University of Glasgow University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the... |
129,163 |
| 9 | University of Leeds University of Leeds The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England... |
119,319 |
| 10 | University of Liverpool University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic... |
110,800 |
| 11 | University of Birmingham University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus... |
104,811 |
| 12 | University of Nottingham University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia... |
104,100 |
| 13 | University of Bristol University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is... |
101,400 |
| 14 | University of Sheffield University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities... |
98,748 |
| 15 | University of Southampton University of Southampton The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed... |
96,323 |
| 16 | Cardiff University Cardiff University Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based... |
87,962 |
| 17 | Newcastle University | 85,200 |
| 18 | University of Warwick University of Warwick The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom... |
79,802 |
| 19 | 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... |
68,472 |
| 20 | Queen's University Belfast | 66,585 |
| 40 | London School of Economics 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... |
23,856 |
Notes:
a Name in bold text denotes membership of the Russell Group
Rankings
| University | The Complete University Guidea | 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... a |
QS World University Rankings QS World University Rankings The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004.... b |
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... c |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Birmingham | 22 | 26 | 67 | 145 |
| University of Bristol | 11 | 13 | 30 | 68 |
| University of Cambridge | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Cardiff University | 37 | 35 | 135 | Not ranked |
| University of Edinburgh | 13 | 15 | 20 | 40 |
| University of Glasgow | 21 | 22 | 59 | 128 |
| Imperial College London | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| King's College London | 16 | 24 | 27 | 77 |
| University of Leeds | 32 | 30 | 93 | 168 |
| University of Liverpool | 30 | 31 | 123 | 165 |
| London School of Economics | 4 | 3 | 64 | 86 |
| University of Manchester | 29 | 31 | 29 | 87 |
| Newcastle University | 24 | 25 | 127 | 152 |
| University of Nottingham | 17 | 16 | 74 | 174 |
| University of Oxford | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Queen's University Belfast | 31 | 38 | 193 | Not ranked |
| University of Sheffield | 26 | 17 | 72 | 137 |
| University of Southampton | 14 | 19 | 75 | 90 |
| University College London | 7 | 5 | 7 | 22 |
| University of Warwick | 8 | 8 | 50 | Not ranked |
Notes:
a National ranking; latest available year (2012-13)
b Global ranking; latest available year (2011-2012)
c Global ranking; latest available year (2010-11)
Aldwych Group
In response to the Russell Group's support for tuition fees (and other issues), the students' unions of the member universities formed the Aldwych GroupAldwych Group
The Aldwych Group is the group of students' unions of the members of the Russell Group of Universities in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1994, as a watchdog in response to the creation of the Russell Group....
as a parallel organisation to represent the common interests of their students.
Protectionism
The Institute of Economic AffairsInstitute of Economic Affairs
The Institute of Economic Affairs , founded in 1955, styles itself the UK's pre-eminent free-market think-tank. Its mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social...
has argued that the Russell Group acts out of protectionist interests. It is claimed that this will "restrict competition, discourage innovation and encourage inefficiency, thereby depriving students of lower prices and/or greater choice".
Tuition fees
The Russell Group has been prominent in recent years in the debate over the introduction of tuition fees, a measure which it has strongly supported - much to the dismay of the universities' students' unions. Indeed, members of the Group argued that even the fees proposed by the controversial Higher Education BillHigher Education Act 2004
The Higher Education Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which introduced several changes to the higher education system in the United Kingdom, the most important and controversial being a major change to the funding of universities, and the operation of tuition fees, which...
would not be sufficient to cover the rising cost of undergraduate teaching, and successfully argued for the right to charge variable fees at much higher rates, so-called top-up fees
Top-up fees
Tuition fees were first introduced across the entire United Kingdom in September 1998 as a means of funding tuition to undergraduate and postgraduate certificate students at universities, with students being required to pay up to £1,000 a year for tuition...
.
See also
Comparable bodies in other countries- Association of American UniversitiesAssociation of American UniversitiesThe Association of American Universities is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education...
– A group of equivalent, research based universities in North America - Innovative Research Universities AustraliaInnovative Research Universities AustraliaInnovative Research Universities , formerly Innovative Research Universities Australia, is a network of seven comprehensive universities committed to conducting research of national and international standing....
- Group of EightGroup of Eight (Australian universities)The Group of Eight is a coalition of leading Australian tertiary institutions, intensive in research and comprehensive in general and professional education...
- U15
- Universitas 21Universitas 21Universitas 21 is an international network of universities, established as an "international reference point and resource for strategic thinking on issues of global significance." Together, there are 500,000 students and 40,000 academics and researchers associated with these universities, which...