Birkbeck, University of London

Established in 1823, the Birkbeck University of London is an open research university that was founded by George Birkbeck. It is associated with the Commonwealth Universities, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, European University Association, and the University of London. Earlier, the university was known as the London Mechanic's Institute. In 1830, it started admitting female students which resulted in an increase in the number of enrolments.

In 1858, the university began to offer undergraduate degrees to its students. In 1866, the university's name was changed to Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution. Later on, it was shortened to Birkbeck College and then it was given the status of the university and it became the Birkbeck University of London. In 1904, the Student Union was developed where a council was elected to manage the organization. The student union of Birkbeck is the first to be a Founding Member of the National Union of Students.

The campus of the university comprises of a number of teaching hospitals, scientific institutes, and laboratories. The School of Arts and the Department of Humanities and English is also located within the premises. Moreover, it houses residence halls for students, provides all the facilities required by them. Some of the renowned residence halls are Vanessa Bell, Lydia Lopokova, and John Maynard Keynes. In addition, the campus features a Birkbeck cinema hall and Peltz Gallery. It is known to be nearby cafes, restaurants, departmental stores, and shops for the convenience of students. Considering the growing number of students, the university decided to expand its faculties and the campus. In 2013, a new campus in East London was opened. And, many of the institutes were constructed at this campus.

The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs. The school of humanities was built in 2004, which is known to be a well-known faculty of the university. Also, the university collaborated with the London Knowledge Lab for research studies. The academic structure of the university includes a variety of subjects that are categorized into 19 departments. Some of the notable departments are the Department of Criminology, Department of Planetary Sciences, Department of Media, Film & Cultural Studies, Department of History, Department of Mathematics, Department of Applied Linguistics and Communication, and the Department of Computer Science & Information Systems. Not just this, faculty members of the university are known to be well-experienced and co-operative.

The Birkbeck University of London has a list of notable alumni that includes Bear Grylls (Television presenter), Ramsay MacDonald (First labor Prime Minister of the United Kingdom), Aaron Klug (Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Eric Hobsbawm (Famous historian), and Daisy Ridley (Renowned Actress).