2c;6 



NATURE 



[July 9, 1903 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



The Allied Colonial Universities Conference is to be held 

 at Burlington House to-day, July 9. Mr. James Bryce 

 is to preside at the morning session, and Lord Strathcona 

 and Mount Royal at the afternoon session. Official re- 

 presentatives have been appointed by the governing bodies 

 of universities throughout the Empire to attend the con- 

 ference. The universities of England and Wales, Scotland, 

 and Ireland will be represented, and also fourteen Canadian 

 universities, three Australian universities, New Zealand 

 University, and the Cape of Good Hope University. Among 

 the representatives appointed by colonial universities we 

 notice the names of Prof. H. T. Bovey, F.R.S., Prof. E. 

 Rutherford, F.R.S., Prof. J. G. MacGregor, F.R.S., Prof. 

 R. Threlfall, F.R.S., Prof. Horace Lamb, F.R.S., and Prof. 

 T. H. Beare. The following resolutions will be sub- 

 mitted : — (i) That in the opinion of this conference it is 

 desirable that such relations should be established between 

 the principal teaching universities of the Empire as will 

 secure that special or local advantages for study, and in 

 particular for post-graduate study and research, be made 

 as accessible as possible to students from all parts of the 

 King's dominions. Proposed by the Vice-Chancellor of 

 Cambridge, seconded by the Vice-Chancellor of McGill 

 University, Montreal, and supported by the principal of the 

 University of London. (2) That a council, consisting in 

 part of representatives of British and colonial universities, 

 be appointed to promote the objects set out in the previous 

 resolution, and that a committee be appointed to arrange 

 for the constitution of the council. Proposed by the 

 Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, seconded by Prof. R. 

 Threlfall (representing the University of Sydney, New 

 South Wales), and supported by the principal of the 

 University of Birmingham. In addition to the above- 

 named. Lord Kelvin, Sir Henry Roscoe, Prof. Rutherford, 

 and several other representatives of universities have 

 signified their intention of supporting the resolutions. Mr. 

 R. B. Haldane, Sir Michael Foster, K.C.B., F.R.S., Sir 

 Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S., Mr. Fletcher Moulton, 

 F.R.S., Prof. H. L. Callendar, F.R.S., Prof. J. A. Ewing, 

 F.R.S., and Dr. H. P. Gurney (principal of the Durham 

 College of Science) will also be among the speakers. A 

 dinner will be held at the Hotel Cecil to-morrow evening, 

 when the Prime Minister will occupy the chair. 



In an address delivered at a congregation of the Uni- 

 versity of Birmingham on Saturday last, the Chancellor, 

 Mr. Chamberlain, described the progress and purpose of 

 the university, and referred to the scheme for a post- 

 graduate institute of applied science in London. In the 

 course of his remarks Mr. Chamberlain said that, shortly 

 after the idea of a university for Birmingham and district 

 was put forward, the promoters found that much more than 

 had originally been contemplated would be necessary to keep 

 abreast of modern work and modern enterprise. Accord- 

 ingly, a million of money was asked for instead of the 

 quarter of a million originally contemplated. Up to the 

 present time donations to the amount of something like 

 450,000/. have been received. Of that amount, 300,000/. are 

 being spent in the first buildings of the new university. 

 The City of Birmingham has voted a contribution equiva- 

 lent to a halfpenny rate, which will provide an annual con- 

 tribution which at the present time is between 6000Z. and 

 7000Z. a year. The county councils of Worcestershire and 

 Staffordshire have contributed a present sum of 500Z. per 

 annum each. As to the purpose of the university, the view 

 is perpetually borne in mind that it is to be a seat of all 

 learning and an establishment for the promotion of original 

 research. Every branch of learning which has its technical 

 side will be separately represented by its own library, its 

 own laboratory, and its own museum. The constitution of 

 the university has undoubtedly given a stimulus to the 

 higher education throughout the United Kingdom. Follow- 

 ing the example of Birmingham, the colleges of Liverpool 

 and Manchester, and also of Leeds, are developing them- 

 selves on the technical side, and are applying for indepen- 

 dent charters as separate universities. And a scheme has 

 been put forward for a technical college in London with 

 similar objects to those of Birmingham University. When 

 all these institutions are completed, there will be in our 



NO. 1758, VOL. 68] 



country, as there is already in Germany and in North 

 America, a network of institutions all of which may help 

 each other. These modern universities must of necessity 

 be specialised to suit the conditions of the district in which 

 they are established. May it not be, then, in the future 

 that ideas, and even students, may be exchanged, and that 

 many students, as in Germany already, may find their full 

 course can only be completed by going from one university 

 to another and seeking in each what it is best fitted to 

 afford? 



The Lord Mayor of London laid the foundation stone of 

 the new buildings of the University College of Sheffield on 

 June 30. These buildings are part of a large scheme of 

 extension and consolidation, and will cost more than 

 I io,oooZ. The new metallurgical extension, containing new 

 furnaces, is practically completed. The extensions for 

 engineering, and new accommodation for electrical engineer- 

 ing, are in process of erection. The block for which the 

 foundation has just been laid is situated on a site about 

 three-quarters of a mile from the centre of the city, on the 

 ridge of a hill, 420 feet above sea level, and adjoins the 

 Weston Park on two sides. The general plan is that of 

 buildings surrounding a quadrangle, with an annexe for 

 thi library. The buildings on three sides of the quadrangle 

 are to be erected immediately, the fourth side hereafter 

 when required. The building on the west side of the ' 

 quadrangle, with a front to the park, is for the departments 

 comprising arts, physics, biology, chemistry, law and com- 

 merce. That on the north side — also with a front to the 

 park — contains accommodation for architecture, and the 

 whole of the medical department, comprising anatomy, 

 physiology, pathology, bacteriology, and public health, 

 together with lecture rooms and medical library. It is 

 expected that college work will be in full swing in the new 

 buildings in October, 1905. As the result of an appeal that 

 was made a short time ago for funds which would enable 

 a University of Sheffield to be constituted, the sum of 

 51,400/. has been subscribed towards the new buildings, but 

 it is understood that a further sum of 10,000/. is required 

 to complete the portion now to be proceeded with, whilst 

 10,000/. will also be needed for the library, and about 

 10,000/. to complete the equipment of the various labora- 

 tories. It is desired to make adequate provision for, and 

 to grant degrees in, the four following faculties :— (i) Arts, 

 including education and commerce ; (2) pure science ; (3) 

 medicine ; and (4) applied science (engineering, metallurgy 

 and mining). The City Council has pledged itself by a 

 unanimous vote, in case university powers are obtained, to 

 giant an annual sum not exceeding one penny in the pound 

 out of the rates, equivalent to a capitalised sum of about 

 200,000/. To carry out the proposed university scheme in 

 its entirety, a further annual income of 5000/. would be 

 required. 



At University College, London, on Monday, Prof. E. H. 

 Starling, F.R.S., Dean of the Faculty of Science, in his 

 report of the work of the last session, referred to the scheme 

 for the incorporation of the college into the University of 

 London, and the suggested institute for advanced technical 

 work. He remarked that certain conditions had to be 

 fulfilled before the incorporation could take place — namely, 

 the provision of new buildings for the clinical school and 

 for the boys' school. The financial means to completely 

 carry out these objects were still wanting. The college 

 would need 40,000/. for the building of the clinical school 

 and 60,000/. for the boys' school. Believing that money 

 would be forthcoming for so essential a step in the provision 

 of higher education for London, the council of the college 

 and the university were cooperating in drawing up a Bill 

 to enable incorporation to take place, and they hoped that 

 the Bill would be introduced next session. It was proposed 

 in the Bill to seek general powers for the incorporation of 

 other institutions into the university. Only by incorporation 

 of these interests into one, and by giving to the Senate of 

 the university full control over the whole university teach- 

 ing of London, could they hope to be strong enough to 

 develop higher education and research in accordance with 

 the growing needs of the time. This being their policy, 

 it was with some apprehension that he had seen the publica- 

 tion of a scheme for creating a body, well equipped and 

 endowed, within the university, but not belonging to the 

 university. If the control of the new institution was secured 

 to the university it would be certain to succeed, and they 



