Birkbeck's 200th anniversary
We have been transforming lives for more than 200 years. Join us as we celebrate our history and look to the future.
Birkbeck's 200th anniversary
Birkbeck is incredibly proud to have commemorated its 200th anniversary in 2023. Find out how Birkbeck celebrated this landmark - remembering our revolutionary inception and looking to our future plans. Join us to explore how we've been transforming lives for nearly two centuries.
OUR 200-year HISTORY
Learn more about Birkbeck's history, including its foundation meeting in a London pub, the early admission of women to the College, notable Birkbeckians, and our former officers.
BIRKBECK EFFECTS
To commemorate the College's bicentenary, we're gathering incredible stories from our vibrant and diverse community, highlighting their achievements and impact on the world. Capturing inspirational people, transformational stories and excellent research, 200 Birkbeck Effects have been contributed by our Birkbeck community and selected to feature on our website, across social media and on campus.
Marcus Garvey
Marcus was a political activist and proponent of Black nationalism. He spent two years at Birkbeck and studied law and philosophy.
Helen Sharman
Helen, a scientist and astronaut, is renowned for being the first British person in space. She was awarded a PhD in Chemistry at Birkbeck in 1987.
Bisi Alimi
Bisi is a prominent gay rights and HIV/AIDS activist. Bisi received a master's in Global Governance and Public Policy at Birkbeck.
Jan Etienne
Jan is a feminist theorist and was made a Fellow of the College in 2019. She chairs Birkbeck’s Womanism, Activism, Higher Education Research Network.
Judith Butler
Judith Butler is a world-famous theorist and activist for gender, feminism and race equality. They were made a Fellow of Birkbeck in 2021.
Henry Brougham
Brougham was a British statesman and played a significant role in the establishment and survival of the London Mechanics’ Institute. In 1826, he founded the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.
Gillian Bates
Gillian is a Professor of Molecular Neuroscience and a co-discoverer of the causes of Huntington's disease. She completed her MSc in Biomolecular Organisation at Birkbeck in 1984.
Marai Lasai
Marai is an activist and campaigner and is known for her campaigns against racialised and gendered violence. Marai is a graduate of Birkbeck’s MA in Culture, Diaspora and Ethnicity.
Francis Ravenscroft
The Birkbeck Land and Building Society and Birkbeck Bank were the creations of Francis Ravenscroft, who studied at Birkbeck in 1848 and a year later, went on to become a Governor.
Leslie Primo
Leslie is an art historian and has been consulted for 'Art on the BBC'. He graduated from Birkbeck with a BA in History of Art and went on to complete an MA in Renaissance Studies.
Annette Anthony
Annette is an executive coach and Founding Member of Impact X Capital Partners, a venture capital firm. She studied creative writing at Birkbeck.
Sidney Webb
Sidney was a leading British socialist economist. He studied law at Birkbeck and helped to reorganise the University of London into a federation of teaching institutions.
Michelle Mitchell
Michelle is Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK and is motivated by creating change in the world through innovative research. She studied MSc Politics and Administration at Birkbeck.
Christina Pagel
Christina is a mathematician, professor of operational research and an advocate for women in STEM. She completed a Master’s in Applied Statistics with Medical Applications at Birkbeck.
Eva Pascoe
Eva is an e-commerce consultant and co-founded London’s first internet cafe, Cyberia. She studied for a BSc Psychology and Ergonomics of Human-Computer Interaction at Birkbeck.
Emma ‘Ma’ Francis
'Ma’ Francis was one of Birkbeck’s unsung heroes who made a considerable contribution to sustaining university life during the Second World War.
BIRKBECK TODAY
Many organisations do not survive 200 years, but even fewer do so in a manner that their founders would recognise.
Since Dr George Birkbeck created the London Mechanics’ Institution in 1823, the organisation that is now Birkbeck, University of London, has been the gateway for ambitious people to study in the evening. In doing so they change their own lives - and have an immediate impact on business, the economy and our entire society.
