[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]We'll get in trouble with the Glaswegians if we describe their city [PARA]as Scotland's 2nd, so we'll just say it's the largest and the [PARA]unofficial capital of the west of Scotland. A few years ago, [PARA]Glasgow tried to do something about its downbeat reputation with[PARA]the slogan 'Glasgow's Miles Better', begging the question, 'better [PARA]than what?'[ITAL] It depends what you're looking for.[EITAL] Glasgow's an [PARA]industrial city with a ring of tower blocks and factories around the[PARA]outside, but more up-market in the city centre with a spattering of[PARA]large busy parks. To the north of just such a park, 2 miles west [PARA]of the city centre on Gilmorehill, is the campus of Glasgow's [PARA]oldest and the UK's 4th oldest university. (There are also [ULNE][PARA]Strathclyde University[EULNE], [ULNE]Glasgow Caledonian University[EULNE] and, a [PARA]few miles out of town, [ULNE]Paisley University[EULNE]). Some campus [PARA]buildings were erected in the 50s and 60s, but many date back to[PARA]when the University relocated to its present site in 1870. The [PARA]older buildings[ITAL] of particular note[EITAL] include the [ITAL]splendid [EITAL]chapel (bult [PARA]in 1921), set by [ITAL]secluded [EITAL]quadrangles. It is next to the [PARA]administrative centre, which also houses the Hunterian Museum.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Glasgow students are almost as much people of this city as the [PARA]Glaswegians. Both groups get on famously, partly because 40%[PARA]of the students live at home and partly because the University [PARA]happens to be in a formerly middle-class (now fairly declasse) [PARA]area - it'd be interesting to see how students coped in Glasgow's [PARA]rougher areas like the Gorbals. However, we don't want to give [PARA]the impression there is any pretentiousness about the students - [PARA]there isn't. The University has the odd advantage of being very [PARA]near the city centre whilst at the same time being an exclusive [PARA]haven, which makes for a friendly campus community. There's [PARA]also the Garscube site, at Bearsden, about 4miles away, which [PARA]houses the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 654,542 [BULL] London: 367miles [BULL] Edinburgh: [PARA]52miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA]The Clyde flows out to sea from Glasgow to its Firth and [PARA]towards the Isle of Arran. Inland, the city is surrounded by the [PARA]rolling hills of Strathclyde. It used to be a centre for shipping and [PARA]steel, before the city dropped into a recession as deep as a [PARA]saying by Confucius. [ITAL]With enormous effort in recent years, [PARA]Glasgow has been dragging itself up from the gutter, and has [PARA]shown itself to be a thoroughly cultural, modern European city. [EITAL]In[PARA]fact, in 1990, it was declared Cultural Capital of Europe ([ITAL]more by [PARA]way of encouragement than appreciation[EITAL]). [ITAL]Glasgow is again [PARA]beginning to deserve the pride that its people never lost. [EITAL] In the city[PARA]centre ([ITAL]ignore the outskirts which are still fairly depressing[EITAL]), there[PARA]is some [ITAL]magnificent [EITAL]architecture (with many buildings designed [PARA]by home-grown Charles Rennie Mackintosh) and there are 35 [PARA]museums and art galleries, including [ITAL]notably [EITAL]the Art Gallery and [PARA]Museum in Kelvingrove Park, the Burrell Collection, the McLellan [PARA]Galleries, the Tobacco Lords House and many National Trust [PARA]properties. You might expect a city of this size to have loads of [PARA]shops, public amenities and stuff like that - you wouldn't be [PARA]wrong. [ITAL]Fed up with the sniping about Glasgow being miles [PARA]better, the new catchphrase is 'Glasgow's Alive'. Crass, but true.[EITAL][PARA][ITAL]In the under-belly of Glasgow life, there is a massive amount of [PARA]drug abuse with both hard and soft drugs easily available. There [PARA]is a considerable problem with related crime. [EITAL][HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD]Queen's Street and Central Stations are the mainline [PARA]stops, and run regualr services to Edinburgh, London, [PARA]Manchester, Newcastle and Carlisle.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches: [EBOLD]National Express Services to London (ú25, 7hrs, [PARA]6/day); Edinburgh (ú6.30, 1:10hrs, 9/day); Newcastle (ú13.75, 4hrs,[PARA]1/day); Liverpool (ú13.25, 4:45hrs, 1/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] Good connections all over the country by road, including the [PARA]M74, A8/M8, A80/M80, A82, A77,and A736.[PARA][BOLD]Air: [EBOLD]Direct flights to Europe and the US, as well as shuttle links to[PARA]Heathrow and Gatwick, from Glasgow Abbotsinch Airport, 8 [PARA]miles from the city centre.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching: [EBOLD][ITAL]If you bus it out to the main roads, you may be OK, but [PARA]it's not a thumber's paradise.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local: [EBOLD]Buses are frequent, cheap and comprehensive - fares [PARA]from 45p. The trains are fast and efficient, but there aren't many [PARA]stops around the city.[PARA][BOLD]Underground: [EBOLD]There's an underground system costing 50p a trip.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis: [EBOLD][ITAL]Only worth it late at night.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles: [EBOLD]Glasgow is hilly, and traffic is heavy. [ITAL]Bikes are useful, [PARA]but not essential.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD] 3,200[BOLD][PARA]Divinity[EBOLD] 156[BOLD][PARA]Law/Finance[EBOLD] 940[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 3,460[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 1,355[BOLD][PARA]Engineering[EBOLD] 1,485[BOLD][PARA]Vet Med[EBOLD] 360[BOLD][PARA]Medicine[EBOLD] 1,820[BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 1,750,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 5,950 [BULL] Study places: [PARA]1,790 [BULL] Computer workstations: 600[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA]There is something over 50 libraries in departments around the [PARA]University (notably the Modern Languages, the Adam Smith [PARA]Social Science, Chemistry, Dental and Veterinary Libraries) as [PARA]well as a main library.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 9full [BULL] Unemployed after [PARA]6mths (1992): 14%[ESTAT][PARA]Many politicians come from Glasgow - however, that's not to say [PARA]many Glasgow students become politicians. They're more likely [PARA]to end up accountants or lawyers. [ITAL]Then politicians.[EITAL][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]Teaching week from Monday to Saturday.[PARA][BULL]The Daily Telegraph described Glasgow as top of the polls in [PARA]terms of 'academic opportunity, social mix and ambience'.[PARA][BULL]Past Rectors include the godlike Johnny Ball.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]William Boyd (writer); Menzies Campbell MP (Lib Dem); AJ [PARA]Cronin (writer); Donald Dewar MP (Lab); Dot (One Dove); James [PARA]Herriot (vet); Pat Kane (Hue and Cry); Charles Kennedy MP (Lib [PARA]Dem); Joseph Lister (pioneer of antiseptics); Anne Louise McIlroy [PARA](pioneer of women in medicine); Adam Smith (economist); John [PARA]Smith MP (late Labour leader); Teddy Taylor MP (Con).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Undergraduate prospectus, handbooks from Union offices.[PARA][PARA]
