Feb. 9, 1888] 



NATURE 



339 



THE PROPOSED TEACHING UNIVERSITY 

 FOR LONDON. 



\A/^ printed last week the petition which has been 

 * V presented to the Privy Council by the Associa- 

 tion for Promoting a Teaching University in London. 

 We have now before us the petition of University Col- 

 lege and King's College, to which is appended a proposed 

 draft charter for the University, under the name of the 

 Albert University of London. If, as seems probable, the 

 promoters have been well advised in claiming no less a 

 surname than that of the Metropolitan district for which 

 the University is to serve, the prefi-ced name of the late 

 Prince Consort, to whom England is undoubtedly in- 

 debted for the encouragement his influence gave to edu- 

 cational and scientific work, is perhaps as good a way as 

 could have been hit upon for avoiding confusion with the 

 existing University. For the rest, the charter appears to 

 be an adaptation to the circumstances of that granted to 

 the Victoria University ; the principal differences being — 

 the place reserved for the Royal College of Physicians 

 and Royal College of Surgeons in the University, which 

 is one of complete equality with the governing bodies of 

 the University Colleges themselves ; the power conferred 

 upon the legally recognized medical schools of London, 

 as such,toclaim, as of right, admittance to the University, 

 on equal terms with the Medical Faculties of University 

 College and King's College ; and the greater simplicity of 

 the governing body. In the case of the Victoria Univer- 

 sity a complicated division of authority was resorted to, 

 with the view of obviating mutual jealousies between the 

 various cities and towns in which, in that case, the 

 several Colleges were to be situated. The Senate proposed 

 for the Albert University consists of three members chosen 

 by the governing body of each College associated with 

 the University ; the College of Physicians and College of 

 Surgeons being reckoned among associated Colleges, if 

 willing to accept the position, but the twelve medical 

 schools not being so reckoned ; of four members repre- 

 senting the assembly of each Faculty, such assemblies 

 being composed of the teaching staflfs of all Colleges or 

 medical schools admitted in respect of the Faculty ; and 

 of six representatives nominated by the Crown in the first 

 instance, of whom three are eventually to be replaced by 

 representatives of the graduates in Convocation. 



Compared with this body, the composition of the 

 Senate of Physicians and Surgeons proposed in the 

 petition of the two Royal Colleges presents an even 

 greater degree of simplicity. No provision is made for 

 the representation of any other interest than that of the 

 petitioners themselves ; and the two Colleges divide the 

 representation equally between their respective governing 

 bodies. It is understood, however, that in the case ol 

 the College of Surgeons this proposal has not given satis- 

 faction, even within the limits of the College ; and that 

 some representation will be claimed for Fellows of the 

 College other than those who constitute the Council which 

 governs it. 



From the point of view which is especially our own, 

 the quarrel about degrees, and the interests of rival insti- 

 tutions, occupy a place secondary in importance to con- 

 siderations affecting the promotion of knowledge and 

 science, and only important in so far as they are concerned. 

 If the proposal of the Royal Colleges is carried into effect. 



and a committee of eminent physicians and surgeons is 

 mtrusted with the power of e.xamining for and giving 

 medical degrees, there can be little doubt that the great 

 building on the Thames Embankment, and the space 

 behind it shortly to be covered with building, will speedily 

 develop into a teaching institution, with provision for 

 research; and thus knowledge will be increased, and 

 science promoted, by the addition of one more to the 

 number of efficient schools for special purposes which 

 are now open in London. The promoters of the Albert 

 University do not offer us any immediate addition of this 

 nature to the resources which are now available. We 

 have examined the draft charter with care, in order to 

 detect, if possible, the traces of a design to check the 

 foundation or perfecting of new institutions, in the in- 

 terest of those already existing. But the promoters, we 

 are bound to say, appear to have guarded against all 

 objection, by following, in this respect, the charter of the 

 Victoria University. The appeal which is given to the 

 Privy Council, in case of the refusal of the University to 

 admit a new College, is a satisfactory provision against 

 the spirit of monopoly. In the absence of danger from 

 this point of view, the Teaching University promises 

 more than is offered by the Senate of Physicians and 

 Surgeons, in the interests of science. The prospect of 

 establishing, as a qualification for admission to the Uni- 

 versity, a general standard of efficiency for Colleges 

 professing to do the work of scientific teaching, has 

 greater attractions for us than that of the opening of a 

 single new school of medical and surgical research. 

 Moreover, by the institution of the Teaching University, 

 we shall secure the first, without rendering it less 

 probable that in time the second also may follow. 



We notice that the right of admission offered to all the 

 London medical schools, though absolute so far as the 

 Medical Faculty is concerned, is, in regard to the Faculty 

 of Science, made conditional on efficiency. This is as it 

 should be. Probably some of the smaller hospitals will 

 regard with equaminity the extinction of their pretensions 

 to be recognized as efficient schools of science. Others 

 will be incited to render themselves efficient. In both 

 cases the result to science will be a pure gain. One 

 matter of importance appears omitted in the programme 

 of the Albert University : the position to be assigned 

 within the University, if its admission is contemplated, to 

 the Royal School of Mines and Normal College of 

 Science. It would appear proper that this point should 

 be further considered, if the project ever reaches a more 

 definite stage. 



Upon the matters in dispute between the University of 

 London and the University Colleges we desire to main- 

 tain an attitude of impartiality. On the one hand, it is 

 urged that the credit of a degree will not stand the strain 

 consequent on the creation of a second degree-giving 

 body in London ; and that all the reform desirable, in 

 the interests of education, is the introduction of a larger 

 number of teachers on the governing body of the exist- 

 ing University. On the other, stress is laid upon the 

 importance, for educational purposes, of the independence 

 of teachers from irresponsible external control, and upon 

 the necessity of an organization of teaching for London 

 more thorough than can be afforded by any constitution 

 or reconstitution of an examining body. But whether 



