University of Cambridge Official Pre College Natural Sciences

Introduction

Taught by expert academics, practising professionals and inspirational educators from the University of Cambridge, the 2-week subject-based summer programme is stimulating, challenging and unique, exposing students to the latest innovation and research in various subjects. We provide small group supervisions after the lectures to answer the students’ questions and discuss their own ideas related to the lecture content to help them better comprehend new knowledge. They will be required to deliver a final presentation on their interested topics at the end of the programme. Students will also be living in a prestigious college at central Cambridge and enjoy what is like to study and live as a Cambridge student here. In addition, students have the opportunity to join a variety of cultural activities, subject-based organisation visit and master seminars to bring their learning into life.

Instructor:

Dr. Matthias Dörrzapf

• Director of Scholarships and International Programmes and Director of Studies, St John’s College, University of Cambridge
• Fellow at St John’s College, University of Cambridge
• Member of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, High Energy Physics group, University of Cambridge

Areas and Topics:

• Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
• High Energy Physics
• Conformal Field Theory
• Representation Theory

Instructor:

Prof. Steven Lee

• Professor of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Cambridge
• Fellow, Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge
• 2017 recipient of the Marlow Award in Physical Chemistry from the Royal Society of Chemistry

Areas and Topics:

• Multidimensional super-resolution Imaging
• 3D Super-resolution Imaging
• Quantitative analysis software and computational imaging
• The molecular mechanism of adaptive immunity in Human T Cells
• Nano-clustering of K-Ras in aberrant Cancer signalling
• Visualising Oligomers in Neurodegenerative disease (Parkinson’s Alzheimer’s)

Cambridge College Life

  Cambridge Colleges will form key communities for your study here, offering a range of academic support, accommodation, and facilities for study and leisure. You will be welcomed into an inclusive, interdisciplinary, supportive, and social community. Your college will be centrally located, with instant access to the shops and cafes of the city centre, as well as natural sceneries such as gardens, parks, and plenty of green spaces. You will also be free to enjoy the beautiful river Cam and some of the most astonishing Gothic style architecture. Your Cambridge college life will involve but is not limited to accommodation, dining, socialising, formal dinner, etc.

Small Group Supervisions 

Small group supervision is an unique feature of the Cambridge education system. They can provide you with the opportunity to explore your subjects more deeply by discussing your work process with and receiving regular feedback from your supervisors, including feedback on the preparation for your final presentation at the end of the programme. As supervisions aren’t assessed, they provide the ideal environment for you to test your ideas and interests, while encouraging you to develop your thinking.

CCISTC TedTalks 

We invite a number of world-class scholars and speakers from various disciplines to give seminars on their specialities to promote interests in these areas among the students. The speakers include world-famous researchers, policymakers, industrial leaders, societies, associations, professional bodies and individuals.  

Cultural and Social Activities

You will be free to explore the city of history for yourself, as well as meet new friends for the future. We will also organise a variety of cultural and social activities and day trips to help bring your learning to life: Cambridge Colleges Tour, River Cam punting, Visit to Wimpole Estate, Tour of Museums, Golf Experience, Grantchester Afternoon Tea, etc.

Day trips to London and Oxford

We provide students with fully guided trips to London and Oxford. In this way, the students will have the opportunity to discover parts of the UK outside Cambridge. Each trip will offer inspiring cultural activities: walking tours of London city centre, British Museum / National Gallery, Oxford colleges and city tour, taking in a West End Musical, etc.

IELTS lectures

IELTS lectures will be delivered by a certified IELTS examiner who has more than 10-year teaching experience and will give students an in-depth insight into the IELTS exam, equipping them with expert knowledge and useful skills to obtain a high score.

Organisation Company visit

We organise unique subject-relevant / interdisciplinary industry visits to stimulate students’ academic/career interests. The organisations may include sites like The Supreme Court, Royal Court of Justice, Cambridge Science Park, BP Institute, renown law firms, Professors' labs and offices at Cambridge, just to name a few.

Programme Highlights

• Cambridge College life
• Subject-based lectures
• Small group supervision
• CCISTC TedTalks 
• Cultural and social activities
• Subject-related organisation visits
• Day trips to London and Oxford

Awards upon satisfactory completion of the programme

Students who successfully finish the programmes will be granted the following documents to verify their achievements:

• An Official Certificate of Completion issued by CCISTC University of Cambridge
• An Official Programme Transcript / Report Issued by CCISTC University of Cambridge
• A Recommendation Letter from CCISTC University of Cambridge* subject to students’ performance meeting the required standards
• The best group of students will be awarded a Recommendation Letter from the Academic Lead (one of the academics listed in page 5-14)* subject to students’ performance meeting the required standards

Accommodation

The Collegiate Experience at the University of Cambridge

Colleges are where Cambridge students live, eat and socialise, and where they receive small group teaching sessions called supervisions, which are regarded as one of the best teaching models in the world. Colleges are also self-governing; while they are part of the University (subject to University regulations) they select their own students and have their own internal procedures. Although students receive the same outstanding education whichever college they attend, each has its own unique history, environment and identity.

Partner Colleges

• St John's College
• Sidney Sussex College
• Clare Hall
• Lucy Cavendish College

All delegates are accommodated in different buildings of colleges of the University of Cambridge. Delegates usually stay in single/twin rooms with shared, unisex bathroom facilities. En-suite single rooms are also available at an additional charge. Dormitory rooms come in different size, shape and style. Breakfasts are all included.

College Dining

Eating together is an integral part of life here in colleges and provides the perfect opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new acquaintances. Catering team in colleges provide high quality and authentic British and International meals served in their magnificent dining hall for their students every day.

Traditional Formal Dinner

The formal dinner is a traditional social activity and very popular part of College life at the University of Cambridge. On both sides of the ancient traditional long table, students wear formal evening dresses, listen to the academician’s prayer in Latin and enjoy authentic traditional British food.

What is included

• 13 nights of College accommodation.
• Breakfast and dinners, including a Cambridge College Traditional Formal Dinner when the graduation ceremony takes place.
• All academic schedule, including Lectures, Supervisions, Revisions / Seminars, CCISTC TedTalks with world-class speakers, an Organisation Visit, Final Group Presentation, and the teaching venues.
• Inspirational social and cultural schedule as detailed in the sample schedule, including excursions to London and Oxford.
• Transport: airport pick up and drop off shuttle coach, London and Oxford day trip coach.
• A UK sim card with prepaid allowance for data, calls and texts.
• Programme awards