[SOLD OUT] Back to Bloomsbury

Mark your calendars! This September, as we celebrate our bicentenary and begin our third century, come Back to Bloomsbury and help write UCL's next chapter.

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Tickets sold out: Back to Bloomsbury

Thank you for the incredible response to this event. This event is now sold out, and no further tickets are available at this stage.

For 200 years, generations of students have walked through our Gower Street gates to discover new possibilities, form lifelong friendships and make their mark.

This September, in our bicentenary year, we’re inviting you – our alumni – back to Bloomsbury to continue your UCL story: to relive your favourite memories, visit the campus you remember, celebrate the dynamic community you’re still a part of, and discover what comes next.

Throughout the event, you will uncover the stories and moments that have defined UCL over 200 years and explore the ideas, research and people shaping our university today. You’ll get a glimpse into the future and discover how Here, it will happen – our new, landmark philanthropic and engagement campaign – will help deliver UCL’s ambitions for our next century of discovery, global impact and opportunity.

Your fellow alumni – and leading voices in research, public engagement and broadcasting – Adam Rutherford, Lucie Green and Sophie Scott* will be your hosts for the evening. As part of a vibrant programme featuring guest speakers from across UCL, they’ll welcome you back to campus and shine a light on how you can be a part of UCL’s future.

Tickets are free but limited, so book early.

Dates and times

There are four opportunities to join us at Back to Bloomsbury. On 9 and 10 September, choose from two evening sessions each day:

5:10pm–7:30pm or
6:20pm–8:40pm.

Each event offers the same programme, so you won’t miss anything whichever date or time you choose.

What you can expect

* Dr Adam Rutherford will host all four events, with Professor Lucie Green joining him on 9 September and Professor Sophie Scott on 10 September.

Highlights will include:

UCL through the centuries: Visit the UCL200 Exhibition: Two Centuries Here and discover stories, objects and moments that bring UCL’s rich history to life. You’ll hear from Dr Sam Blaxland (UCL Institute of Education), discussing his new book Student London: A New History of Higher Education in the Capital.
Live student performances
Voices across UCL: Join hosts Adam Rutherford, Lucie Green and Sophie Scott as they host the evenings, alongside stories and reflections from students and fellow alumni.
Here, it will happen - Discover the research bettering our world: Hear from Professor Selina Wray, who leads cutting-edge dementia research at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology.
Reconnect with UCL, people and place: Wander through some of UCL’s most iconic campus spaces and catch up with fellow alumni over drinks.

About our hosts

Adam Rutherford

Adam is a “UCL lifer”: he has been at UCL for almost 30 years and completed both his undergraduate degree and PhD here. He is now a lecturer in Biology and Society, based in the UCL Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment. He also writes and presents documentaries for BBC radio and television, and his books include A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived and How to Argue With a Racist.

View Adam's profile

Lucie Green

Professor

Lucie is a Professor of Solar Physics at UCL and a Leverhulme Research Fellow at the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL), where she also completed her PhD. Her research focuses on activity in the atmosphere of our nearest star, the Sun. She has contributed to The Infinite Monkey Cage and presented Stardate on the BBC. Lucie also works with space agencies and is the author of 15 Million Degrees: A Journey to the Centre of the Sun.

View Lucie's profile

Sophie Scott

Professor

Sophie completed her PhD in Cognitive Science at UCL and is now Director of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. Her research explores the neurobiology of human vocal communication, from speech and sound to social interaction and emotional expressions such as laughter. Alongside her research, Sophie works as a presenter and host and has performed science-inspired stand-up comedy.