Molbridge
Molbridge, also known as the Molbridge triangle, is a semi-official grouping of the University of Damesbridge, the University of Tolbury and the University of Morwall, which are ancient universities, being the oldest, wealthiest, most prestigious and research-intensive universities in Estmere. The name is a portmanteau term, combining the names of the three institutions (Morwall, Tolbury, Damesbridge).
As a term, it often refers to the three universities collectively, to the similarities between the institutions such as their shared use of the collegiate model, and of their heightened status compared to other Estmerish univerisites. The term often carries connotations of elitism.
Origins
The three institutions are ancient universities, all having been founded over seven hundred years ago. In spite of this, the terms Molbridge and Molbridge triangle appear to be a recent invention. Molbridge is a portmanteau. It combines the names of the three instituions in the reverse order of their founding (Morwall, Tolbury, Damesbridge). The first recorded use of the term is in a 1922 political pamphlet by the Estmerish Section of the Workers' International, which called for the "end of the Molbridge elite class privledge". The term was then picked up by the universities themselves, and used to describe the three ancient universities collectively during the 1954 World's Fair. In 1997, the universities held the inaugural Molbridge conference, which made them a semi-official grouping.
Members
| Founded | Institution | Location | Undergraduate enrollment (2020/21) | Postgraduate enrollment (2020/21) | Total enrollment (2020/21) | Budget (2020/21) | Academic staff (2020/21) | Motto | Colours | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1087 | University of Damesbridge | Damesbridge, West Counties |
16,938 | 11,802 | 28,740 | €3.075 billion | 7,659 | Per dominum scio (By the Lord, I know) |
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| 1102 | University of Tolbury | Tolbury, Scitterland |
13,288 | 8,762 | 22,050 | €2.794 billion | 6,422 | Docentia scisco (With teaching, I come to know) |
||||||||||||||||
| 1298 | University of Morwall | Morwall, Greater Morwall |
42,891 | 17,526 | 60,417 | €5.207 billion | 18,519 | In sapiendo vita iucundissima est (Knowledge is bliss) |
Meaning
Rankings
National
The Molbridge universities tend to rank highly on Estmerish university league tables, with the triangle universities regularly topping the tables. It is rare for any of the three universities to be included on a rankings list or league table outside of the top five. Damesbridge and Tolbury usually take the top two spots, while Morwall usually places third or fourth.
| University | Standard Higher Education Rankings (2021) | The Chartist University Guide (2021) | Eye University League Tables (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Damesbridge | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| University of Morwall | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| University of Tolbury | 2 | 1 | 2 |
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