Type Public Administrative staff 1,800 Total enrollment 4,828 (2015) | Visitor HRH The Duke of Kent Phone +44 1234 750111 Vice-chancellor Peter Gregson | |
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Former names Cranfield Institute of Technology
College of Aeronautics
Silsoe College
Royal Military College of Science Established 1946, incorporated by Royal Charter in 1969 Students 3,980 (2015/16)
(all postgraduates) Address College Rd, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK Motto Post Nubes Lux; "Out of darkness, light" (Latin) Chancellor Barbara Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone Subsidiaries Cranfield School of Management Notable alumni Sarah Willingham, John C Hull, Omobola Johnson, Charles Ingram, Juan Rafael Elvira Qu Similar Imperial College London, Loughborough University, Queen's University Belfast, University of Warwick, City - University of London Profiles | ||
Cranfield University is a British postgraduate and research-based public university specialising in science, engineering, technology and management. It contains two campuses; the main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom at Shrivenham, southwest Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United Kingdom for having a semi-operational airport (Cranfield Airport) on campus. The airport facilities are used by Cranfield University's own aircraft in the course of aerospace teaching and research.
Contents
- College of Aeronautics 1946 1969
- Cranfield Institute of Technology 1969 1993
- Cranfield University 1993 present
- Location and campus
- Technology Park
- Schools
- Chancellors
- Vice Chancellors
- Reputation and rankings
- Student life
- References
Cranfield was founded as the College of Aeronautics in 1946, and became a university in its own right as the Cranfield Institute of Technology in 1969.
College of Aeronautics (1946-1969)
Cranfield University was formed in 1946 as the College of Aeronautics, on the former Royal Air Force base of RAF Cranfield, which opened in 1937. Together with other individuals, Stafford Cripps was instrumental in the foundation of the original college in 1946, from which the university developed. The Vice-Chancellor's building is known as "Stafford-Cripps".
Between 1955 and 1969 a period of diversification took place. In 1967 the college presented the Privy Council with a petition for the grant of a Royal Charter along with a draft charter for a new institution to be called Cranfield Institute of Technology.
Cranfield Institute of Technology (1969-1993)
The Cranfield Institute of Technology was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1969, giving the institution its own degree-awarding powers.
Since then the former National College of Agricultural Engineering established at Silsoe near Luton, Bedfordshire, in the 1960s, was incorporated. This was relocated to the Cranfield campus and closed for teaching undergraduates in 2007 whilst retaining some postgraduate courses.
An academic partnership with the Royal Military College of Science (RMCS) at Shrivenham was formed in 1984. RMCS, whose roots can be traced back to 1772, is now a part of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and now forms the Defence College of Management and Technology, known as 'DCMT' and from 2009 as "Cranfield Defence and Security". RMCS became wholly postgraduate in c.2007 with undergraduate courses moved elsewhere.
Cranfield University (1993-present)
In 1993 the institution's Royal Charter was amended to change its name to Cranfield University. (Cranfield had been a full university in every sense since its original Royal Charter of 1969, but the new name was intended to better reflect Cranfield's work in disciplines outside the 'technology' area, such as management and defence.) A decade later in 2003, Cranfield became wholly postgraduate and the Shrivenham site admitted its last undergraduates. In 2006, it was decided that activities on the Silsoe site would be relocated to the main campus at Cranfield. As a result, a substantial building programme was undertaken on Cranfield campus, including the provision of departmental buildings and additional accommodation (Stringfellow and Chilver Halls), and Silsoe-based staff were transferred to Cranfield.
Location and campus
Cranfield campus is approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of central London and adjacent to the village of Cranfield, Bedfordshire. The nearest large towns are Milton Keynes and Bedford, the centres of which are both about 8 miles (13 km) away. Cambridge is about 30 miles (48 km) east.
Shrivenham is about 73 miles (117 km) west of London, adjacent to Shrivenham village, 7 miles (11 km) from the centre of the nearest town, Swindon, and around 23 miles (37 km) from Oxford.
Bedford, Milton Keynes, Oxford and Swindon all have fast rail services to central London terminuses, good access to the main motorway network and London Heathrow airport.
Technology Park
There are a number of companies located on the Cranfield University Technology Park ranging from large international companies to small start-ups. Major companies on the park include:
Prior to 2016:
An extension to the Technology Park was completed in 2008. A new Aerospace Park on the north-eastern part of the campus is planned.
Schools
The academic schools are:
Chancellors
Vice-Chancellors
Reputation and rankings
As the university is postgraduate, direct comparison with undergraduate institutions is difficult. Some key facts and figures are:
Student life
Cranfield Students Association (CSA) is the students' union and runs the main student bar, cafe and shop on the Cranfield campus. The student newspaper is called "Entropy". Kelechi Anyaoha is the President of Cranfield Students Association for 2016/2017.