The University of Sheffield was named UK University of the Year 2011 in the Times Higher Education Awards. Judges said that the University "stood out as a result of a strategy based on its values and rooted in its founding principles" and praised our "determination and grit" in focusing on our local community. University guides also confirm our position as one of the UK's leading universities. Teaching quality assessments rate our teaching very highly across a wide range of subjects, and official research assessments confirm our reputation as a centre for world-class research in many disciplines. We have nearly 25,000 students from 117 countries, and over 6,000 staff. The University of Sheffield is a popular choice with applicants for university places, and once they arrive our students enjoy the experience so much that many settle in Sheffield after they graduate. Our research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls Royce, Unilever, Boots, AstraZeneca, GSK, ICI, Slazenger, and many more household names, as well as UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations. We're part of the Worldwide Universities Network (USA, Europe and China). We're a member of the White Rose University Consortium, a strategic partnership between three of the UK's leading research universities of Sheffield, Leeds and York. Since its creation in 1997 White Rose has secured more than £100 million into the universities. The University's history stretches back to 1828, when the Sheffield School of Medicine was founded, and our University Charter was granted in 1905. The University holds charitable status as an Exempt Charity. The benefits include tax savings to both the University and to charitable donors or their estates.