Birkbeck, University of London

Birkbeck, University of London, is a higher education institution located in central London and is part of the University of London. The college is London's only specialist provider of evening-only higher education, with classes held between 6 and 9 pm.

Birkbeck provides flexible full- and part-time higher education courses and degrees for students of all ages. The course offerings are designed to meet its students' changing educational, cultural, personal, and career needs. Birkbeck also has a mission to make available the results of research, and the expertise acquired, through teaching, publication, partnerships with other organizations and the promotion of civic and public debate. The college caters to those who live or work in the London region.

Birkbeck will celebrate its two-hundredth anniversary in November 2023.

Birkbeck College, University of London

Birkbeck was founded on November 11, 1823, by Dr. George Birkbeck. That night he spoke to a crowd of approximately two thousand people at the Crown and Anchor Tavern on the Strand on the importance of educating the London working class. His supporters that night included Jeremy Bentham, the philosopher and originator of Utilitarianism; Sir John Hobhouse, a radical MP; and Henry Brougham, a liberal MP, anti-slavery campaigner, and educational reformer. The new institute would provide the first opportunity for artisans and craftspeople to learn about science, art, and economics, a controversial issue at that time. Dr. Birkbeck was accused of "scattering the seeds of evil." Birkbeck rallied supporters against his critics, stating, "now is the time for the universal benefits of the blessings of knowledge". Despite the controversy, his supporters helped him raise enough money to open the institution.

The London Mechanics’ Institute was subsequently created on December 2, 1823, with the mission to educate the working people of London. In 1830, the institute became one of the first colleges to admit women. It would be another forty years before Oxford University and Cambridge University would do so. In 1858, the University of London’s Charter for the college was ratified, allowing any student to sit for degree examinations and making Birkbeck one of the best choices for London students who wanted a university education but could not afford to study full-time.

In 1866, the Mechanics’ Institute officially changed its name to the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution, and in 1907, it officially became Birkbeck College. In 1920, Birkbeck became part of the University of London.