UCL's Bicentenary (UCL200)
2026 is the year in which we mark 200 years since UCL’s establishment as the first University in London. The ambition of the Bicentenary year is to celebrate and reinforce UCL’s founding values. Highlighting the excellence and impact of UCL’s ground breaking work, whilst also presenting an ambitious and inspiring portrait of our future.
Through an exciting and varied programme of activities and events, UCL200 will show our commitment to our core values, embrace our entrepreneurial spirit, inspire future leaders, and contribute to a world where knowledge, research and innovation serves as a force for positive good. As well as reflecting on our past, we will use the bicentenary year to frame the future, to position ourselves as a forward-facing university, and to convey the type of organisation we will become during our third century.
Highlights in UCL's 200-year history
UCL200 news
Open call for ideas: UCL200 – Marking UCL’s Bicentenary
We are actively looking for ideas and contributions from all staff and post-doctoral students to create an exhilarating programme to celebrate UCL’s 200th year.
Improving experience and accessibility for our campus’ central spaces
UCL’s 200th anniversary gives us a unique chance to look back on past achievements and plan for the next 200 years, with our physical estate playing a key role in that.
Call for input: Generation UCL
Generation UCL is a research and engagement project that explores two centuries of student life in London. This is the last chance to let the research team know about potential alumni, stories and sources to be included in the commemoration book to be published in 2026.
Building to UCL’s 200th Anniversary
UCL has identified three Physical Legacy projects that will help improve our campus as UCL enters its third century. Find out about the plans for the Quad, Wilkins Building and Gordon Street.
Generation UCL Exhibition: 200 years of student life in London
The Octagon, Wilkins Gallery, 25 Sep 23 - 8 Dec 24. This exhibition places students at the heart of its 200-year history. It also marks 130 years since the formation of what became Students’ Union UCL.
Generation UCL - 200 years of student life in London
As UCL starts the countdown to its bicentenary in 2026, a new research and engagement project puts students and alumni at the heart of the history of UCL, now one of the largest student-led organisations in the world.
200 years of UCL data (part 1)
In this blog, Zhiruo He, BA Education Studies student, introduces their summer research project working on recording and analysing students number data for UCL's past 200 years, using archived records from UCL Special Collections.
200 years of UCL data (part 2)
In this second blog, Zhiruo He, BA Education Studies student, outlines some of the most interesting findings from their summer internship working on UCL historical student numbers - examining students by gender and exploring changing trends in the number of students from two selected regions of the world.
UCL appoints Pro-Provost (Bicentennial), Professor Dame Hazel Genn
"It will be a pleasure to connect with UCL’s wider community, including our students, staff, alumni, academic and industry partners, and donors – to plan and deliver an inspiring programme of events that marks and celebrates UCL’s pioneering achievements over the past 200 years."
Meet the UCL200 team
UCL Community - share your ideas around UCL's 200th anniversary with the UCL200 team.
Get in touch with the UCL200 team at UCL200@ucl.ac.uk
Meet the team below and find out more about each team member here.
Pro-Provost Bicentennial
Programme Director Bicentennial
Project Manager Bicentennial
Project Officer Bicentennial
Team Coordinator Bicentennial
Head of External Engagement, Office of the President and Provost