In which of the following countries are the two famous universities, Oxford and Cambridge located?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (c) United Kingdom

Explanation:

• The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are the two oldest and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world.

• Collectively known as "Oxbridge," they are located in the cities of Oxford and Cambridge in England.

• Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, with evidence of teaching dating back to 1096, while Cambridge was founded in 1209 by scholars leaving Oxford.

• Both universities operate on a collegiate system, meaning they are made up of several autonomous colleges where students live, eat, and study.

• In the context of NCERT Class 9 and 10 History (Industrial Revolution and Colonialism), these institutions played a pivotal role in educating the administrative and scientific elite of the British Empire.

Information Booster:

• The two universities share a long-standing friendly rivalry, most famously manifested in the annual Boat Race on the River Thames.

• They consistently rank among the top five universities globally in various international academic rankings due to their research output and historical prestige.

Additional Knowledge:France (Option a)

• France is home to the historic University of Paris (Sorbonne), founded in the mid-12th century.

• It is also known for its "Grandes Écoles," specialized higher education institutions like École Polytechnique.

United States (Option b)

• The US houses the Ivy League universities, such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

• While many of these were modeled after the Oxbridge system, they are located in the North Eastern United States, not the UK.

Italy (Option d)

• Italy is home to the University of Bologna, which is recognized as the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world (founded in 1088).

• It was the primary center for legal and medical studies in Medieval Europe.