Yale University is considered one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the world, and its neighbors in international rankings are often Oxford, Cambridge and Stanford. The university is part of the Ivy League, along with seven more prestigious US universities, as well as the "Big Three", which, in addition to Harvard and Princeton universities.
History of the University
Yale University is one of the oldest educational institutions in America. It is one of eight private schools that make up the Ivy League, which takes its name from the vines that grow around the walls of most colleges.
Yale's forerunner was the Collegiate School, and even earlier the Collegiate School, founded in 1701. It was this school that was sponsored by the entrepreneur and philanthropist Eliyahu Yale, whose name was given to the college, organized onbase of the school in 1718.
However, some historians tend to trace the university's genealogy back to 1640, when the colonial priests began to be first active in founding the university. Thus, the traditions of the university are similar to those that prevailed in medieval European universities, which were also created with the direct participation of the clergy.
However, Yale was founded not by Catholics, but by Puritan priests who professed the principle of collegiality, which will become the basis of all American education.
Growth of the university
In the first hundred years of its existence, Yale University has grown and developed rapidly. Even the War of Independence from Great Britain did not prevent the rapid development. It was in the first hundred years that specialized faculties and postgraduate student councils were created, which made it possible to talk about the actual creation of a prestigious university. In 1810, the Faculty of Medicine was established at the university, twelve years later the Faculty of Theology, and in 1824 the Faculty of Law was formed.
The city of New Haven, where Yale University is located, was very tiny during colonial America, but it was there that the local elite lived, whose children studied at Yale. Already at an early stage of the existence of the university, its differences from Harvard became noticeable. While Harvard was famous for its orthodox and strict professorship, Yale had a dynamic and lively youth atmosphere.
University structure
A recognizable feature is Yale's faculty buildings, which are modeled after medieval universities. In the early 1930s, Yale introduced a system of dormitory colleges, in each of which students can study, live, dine and socialize at the same time.
Such a system made it possible to achieve a harmonious combination of the informal environment and the opportunities provided by a large educational institution. In total, fourteen such dormitories were created at the university, each of which is a complex of buildings, equal in area to a city block, with a cozy courtyard.
Each hostel has its own dean, as well as representatives of the general university administration, which allows you to resolve any conflicts that arise in a short time with the participation of all interested parties. It is believed that it is on campuses like Yale that all social innovations are tested, and students studying in them bring to life the rules learned during their studies and life in such hostels. Thus, universities are essential to the American model of democracy.
University campus
The university campus occupies significant areas from the very center of New Haven to its outskirts and forested area. In total, the university owns more than 230 buildings for various purposes, many of which were built by famous architects. Today, the university administration is closely monitoring the state oftheir real estate, as many buildings are architectural monuments and have historical and artistic value.
The real estate fund has been constantly updated since the 1930s: new dormitories, the Faculty of Arts building complex, a sports complex, as well as research laboratories have been built, which are constantly equipped with the latest equipment.
Special mention deserves the university library, the fund of which has about fifteen million copies of various publications. In addition, the repositories contain significant archives, collections and documents that are important for both local and national history. By the number of storage units, the library ranks seventh in the United States and third among the libraries of all universities in the world.
Museums and collections
An important component of the educational and research plan of the university is the artistic life, which allows you to educate harmonious people who have not only research skills, but also aesthetic intuition.
Founded in 1832, the Yale Art Gallery has become not only a showcase for medieval, renaissance and ancient art, but also a location for the study of contemporary art.
The university also houses the largest collection of British illustrated books and art of the former metropolis outside the UK, which are stored in the specially built Yale Center for Britishart.
Science exhibits are on display at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1866. Today, his collection is considered one of the finest in North America. The most famous exhibits include the second largest collection of dinosaur remains and the largest surviving skeleton of a brontosaurus.
The Peabody Museum is not so much a place of storage of antiquities as a multifunctional complex specializing in the collection, preservation and study of incoming exhibits. In addition, the museum staff is actively involved in educational activities, which is very important in connection with the creationist sentiments widespread in America.
Faculties and areas of research
First of all, the humanities departments of Yale University are known. However, despite the fact that it is humanities research that is the true glory of the university, in the race for technical research, the university also does not lag behind its competitors.
Yale University speci alties in chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, physics, astronomy, mathematics and programming are also highly respected and internationally recognized. Interdisciplinary areas related to the study of artificial intelligence are gaining more and more popularity.
There are three observatories at the disposal of students and staff of the university, one of which was created directly on the territory of the university, the second in South Africa and the third in Argentina.
Recently, the leadership of the educational institution announced its intention to investup to five hundred million dollars of own funds in research in medicine and biotechnology. Laboratories are constantly updated to meet the most stringent requirements of modern science.
Humanities Research
However, first of all, the university has the glory of the forge of the country's political cadres. Since the 1970s, every major election campaign in the country has featured graduates from various departments and majors at Yale.
Most of Yale's graduates, who today are the political elite of the country, were trained in the humanities, because the university is famous for its cultural, philological and legal departments. Numerous photos of Yale University show five American presidents, many senators and a large number of scientists of all directions.
International Relations
The university is popular not only with US citizens, but also with representatives of the intellectual and political elite from around the world. Despite the fact that studying at Yale is quite expensive, gifted students can count on financial support from the university's own fund and its trustees.
Scholarships are provided annually for both short internships and the full course of study. There are separate programs for representatives of developing democracies. According to one of these programs, having passed a strict preliminary selection, Alexei Navalny studied. Yale University is givingmuch attention to ethical issues in all areas of scientific knowledge and strives to make a greater contribution to building an open and safe society around the world.
