Cranfield University: Its Paradoxes

Cranfield University? This is the place where I am studying now. How I depict this institution? I have one particular idea: It resembles martial art academies in old kung fu movies.

When I decided to pursue a higher degree, Cranfield University is the first option of mine. For years I have heard its reputation in the world of aerospace engineering. As I studied aeronautics at Institut Teknologi Bandung and  have been working for BPPT - The Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, I was exposed with stories about this institution. It even becomes a myth (may be this word 'myth' is overrated, but let it be).

 

When I spoke up my intention to my current boss in my office, he asked me if I was serious. He tried to convey me that it was not a wise decision because as further as he knew Cranfield University was 'difficult'. He has a friend who dropped out from this university. I smiled and confronted back saying that as a boss he should encourage me and not to let me down.

My previous boss said that I should reconsider my choice. Well, he told me this in economics point of view. He said that Cranfield University was one of the most expensive university in the UK. It was true if he used the data ten or fifteen years ago. As I arrived here, I just knew that for ten years this university did not raise its tuition fee while other institution doing so. Now, the rate of tuition fee of the universities in the UK do not show a wide discrepancy.

 

However, its reputation does not make everyone know about it even for them who live in the UK. There were two experiences of two friends of mine as they landed at Heathrow. One of them, as she answered the question of what her purpose in the UK, she was praised by the immigration officer saying she was very lucky to have a chance studying at Cranfield University. Another one,  she instead had the officer frowned and asked her where the university was. Several times I also found the confusion of people as I told about Cranfield University. The university indeed has reputation but in very exclusive community, while most of people hardly hear about it. Thinking about it, it is just odd. This is the first paradox.

 

In international rankings, released every year by several bodies, the position of Cranfield University does not show something encouraging. It contradicts the praises several opinion saying it is one of the best research campuses in the UK. The reason for the situation in world ranking simply because Cranvield University does not have undergraduate students which significantly influence the evaluation and positioning of a university in those bodies' lists. Cranfield University is the one and only postgraduate university in the UK, thus comparing it with another universities based on undergraduate students existence just does not make sense. The situation itself often make difficulties for scholarship hunters in my country, Indonesia. The scholarship awarding bodies takes reference only by ranking which may irrelevant in several cases. A friend of mine could make it to get a scholarship after the awarding body received an official letter from Attaché of Education, Embassy of Indonesia in London, describing about the university.   

Another paradox is about the location of Cranfield University. Once I met a lecturer who taught me when I was an undergraduate. He is also an alumni of Cranfield University. He challenged me that my decision perhaps was not what I really wanted. He said there was nothing I could see in the university because it was in a village in the middle of the UK. I would hardly find entertainment in that place, he added. What he said was reinforced by the interviewers' statements during an interview which is a part of my application process. One of them, who is now my supervisor, said that Cranfield University is a place of a loner. He asked me, was I prepared with the condition. I said 'Yes'.

As I landed at Terminal 4 Heathrow International Airport, I was excited. But that excitement turned into anxiety. I was picked up by a car send by the university. During the journey between Heathrow and Cranfield I saw nothing but meadows along the highway. For almost 50 miles of driving, there was no houses or industries. I wondered where I was heading to. But, I arrived safely. And it is true that Cranfield is a lonesome place but it also has its own beauty.

Cranfield University is really in the middle of England, but somehow also in the middle of nowhere. This is a paradox to understand how desolate the Cranfield University is while it has a very strong relationship with the most prominent industries that run the world. The university's location is three miles away from Cranfield Village. To the nearest town, it needs 40 minutes by a bus. This is why I said that Cranfield University resembles martial art academies in kung fu movies.

In the typical of movies, the hero always or mostly, by his choice, enrolls to a martial art academy which is located in a remote place. He needs to trained himself days and night and leaving behind his desire to taste the sweetness of the world. After he masters the skill, he then will enter pugilistic world to achieve his aims. In the movies the aim of the characters are vary between revenge or simply to help grassroots.

The situation of Cranfield Universities is more or less similar. I guess the university was purposely designed to keep the supporting atmosphere to study. The access to study (rooms), computer rooms and internet is 24 hours in 7 days. The library is open until midnight in workdays and until evening in weekend. The university also holds seminars or trainings related to soft and hard skills, IT skill, library skill and so forth. All the facilities are provided to prepare the students before they leave the campus pursuing their careers.

Sometime, boredom shrouds the feeling of the students, especially they who live on campus accommodation. Howsoever, live in monotony is not easy to handle. I am grateful that there are buses operating at Cranfield University. The buses connect the campus with the village and the town of Bedford and Milton Keynes. From Bedford or Milton Keynes, the students can continue their journey to other cities, for examples London, Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, and so on. In the map it can be seen that Cranfield University is indeed in the heart of England (not the UK).

After all I can say that Cranfield University is far from everywhere but in the same time also close to everywhere.