China Education International is continuingly developing the partnership network in UK. Its reputation and strength has successfully convince quite a few top UK universities to work with CEI. Recently CEI is negotiating cooperation agreement with University of Central Lancashire

The University of Central Lancashire (or UCLan) is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England, UK.
 

The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council. The university is the fifth largest in the UK in terms of student numbers and is ranked as the best modern university in the north west of England.

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History

The Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was founded in 1828 by Joseph Livesey's Temperance Society. The society was born from a pledge made by seven Preston working men (whose names can be seen on a plaque in the university's library) to never again consume alcohol.

The Institute was housed in a classical-revivalist building on Cannon Street, before eventually expanding under the endowment of a local lawyer, Edmund Robert Harris, who died in 1877. The expansion brought with it several new buildings and houses in the nearby Regent Street were purchased and demolished as a consequence. The institute became a regional centre of excellence for the arts and sciences.

As part of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897, the Institute's trustees paid the Victorian/Edwardian architect Henry Cheers to design the "Victoria Jubilee Technical School" (later known as the Harris Institute and now known as the Harris Building), to be built on Corporation Street. Its goal was to provide local youths with a technical education in all areas. The building was progressive for the period, being powered entirely by electricity.

The Institute existed in this state until 1932 when it changed its name to become the Harris Art College. It underwent further expansion and in 1952 and became the Harris College. In 1973 this became Preston Polytechnic then the Lancashire Polytechnic in 1984. In 1992, full university status was awarded and the University of Central Lancashire came into existence.

For further historical information, see University of Central Lancashire. A History of the Development of the Institution since 1828 by Rex Pope and Ken Phillips.
University Structure
The Harris Building, built in 1897
The Adelphi Building

    * Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
          o Combined Honours Unit
          o School of Creative and Performing Arts
                + Centre for Contemporary Art
          o Northern School of Design
          o School of Education and Social Sciences
          o School of Journalism, Media and Communication
          o Lancashire Law School
                + Centre for Law, Information and Converging Technologies
                + Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice
          o School of Languages and International Studies
                + Confucius Institute

    * Faculty of Health and Social Care
          o School of Dentistry
          o School of Nursing and Caring Sciences
                + Centre for Professional Ethics
          o School of Public Health and Clinical Sciences
          o School of Social Work
                + Centre for Children and Young People's Participation

    * Faculty of Management
          o Lancashire Business School
                + Institute of Innovation, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
                + Institute of International Business
          o School of Sport, Tourism and the Outdoors

    * Faculty of Science and Technology
          o School of Built and Natural Environment
                + Centre for Sustainable Development
                + Centre for Waste Management
          o School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences
                + Jeremiah Horrocks Institute for Astrophysics and Supercomputing
                + Jost Institute for Tribotechnology
                + John Tyndall Nuclear Research Institute
          o School of Forensic and Investigative Sciences
                + Centre for Materials Science
                + Centre for Fire and Hazzards Science
                + Centre for Human Remains Identification
                + Centre for Policing and Criminal Investigation
          o School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
          o School of Psychology

    * Pan-institutional Schools
          o International School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion
                + Institute for Global Communities
                + International Centre for Sign Language and Deaf Studies

    * UCLan Group Organisations
          o Westlakes Scientific Consulting (Environmental and Health Consulting)

Students' Union
The Students' Union venue, 53 Degrees.

The main club venue at the Students' Union, "53 Degrees", has two floors with a bar on each and often hosts top bands. Across two rooms, total capacities are 1,200 & 400 for club nights and 1,500 and 400 for all live gigs. The adjoining bar, "Source", opens seven days during terms.
Sport

The university has sport facilities available to students, staff and alumni on campus. The Foster Sports Centre, situated at the centre of the campus, was recently extended and refurbished. It accommodates indoor sports including badminton, tennis, basketball, volleyball, football, hockey, netball and fencing. Additionally, the centre has a gymnasium.

Also open to students, staff, alumni and the community is the Preston Sports Centre, opened in 2000 by HRH The Princess Royal. The £12 million arena provides facilities for Athletics (8 lane track), Rugby League, Rugby Union, Football (5 grass pitches) Hockey (2 floodlit all weather pitches) Netball and Tennis (4 floodlit courts) and Cycling (1.5 km circuit), as well as an eight lane athletics area, equipped for school, club and county competitions.

The University runs a raceteam, UCLAN Racing, which competes in the North West Club Formula Ford Championship; it finished 3rd in the championship and 2nd in 2009.
Notable alumni
See also: Category:Alumni of the University of Central Lancashire

    * Mike Allen, broadcaster
    * Jim Bamber, illustrator for Autosport (Preston College of Art)
    * Victoria Derbyshire, broadcaster
    * Mary Fitzpatrick, photographer, visual artist Liverpool Art Prize
    * Andy Goldsworthy, visual artist.
    * Lee Mavers, founding member of Liverpool band The La's
    * Simon Kelner, Journalist.
    * Jonathan Thompson Presenter for shows on SKY, BBC & Nickelodeon. He is also a well known video game entrepreneur.
    * Bryan Talbot, award winning comic book artist and writer.
    * John Stapleton, television presenter.
    * Donald Stokes, Baron Stokes, industrialist and life peer.
    * Mike Sutton (criminologist) Originator of the Market Reduction Approach
    * Darren Phillips, author.
    * Don Warrington, veteran actor.
    * Tjinder Singh, lead singer of Cornershop
    * Mark Jenkins, Chief Executive of West Bromwich Albion Football Club .