As University College London approaches its 200th anniversary in 2026, the institution is marking the milestone not only with events and exhibitions, but with a major new publishing program that revisits, reframes and reimagines its past. UCL’s Bicentenary will see the launch of a series of books and digital publications that trace the university’s journey from its radical founding in 1826 to its present role as a global research powerhouse. Drawing on newly explored archives, fresh scholarship and voices from across the university community, the project aims to tell a more expansive, critical and inclusive story of UCL’s first two centuries – and to ask what that history means for the next 200 years.
Exploring two centuries of impact How UCLs Bicentenary publications bring hidden histories to light
Drawing on newly digitised archives, previously overlooked correspondence and personal testimonies, the Bicentenary volumes trace how the university has intersected with major social, political and scientific turning points as 1826. From campaigns for secular education to the expansion of global health research, the publications surface stories of students, researchers and professional staff whose contributions never made it into official histories. Through carefully curated essays, archival photographs and annotated timelines, readers encounter a more intricate portrait of a university shaped as much by dissent and debate as by finding.
To help readers navigate this layered past, the series is organised around key themes that cross disciplines and decades:
- Access and inclusion – charting the journeys of first-generation scholars, women and minoritised communities.
- Knowledge in action – revealing how ideas generated on campus reshaped policy, practice and public life.
- Global entanglements – examining UCL’s role in empire, decolonisation and transnational partnerships.
- Spaces of experimentation – documenting labs, libraries and studios as engines of cultural and scientific change.
| Volume | Focus | Key Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union minutes & zines | |
| 2 | Hidden scientific pioneers | Lab notebooks |
| 3 | Communities around campus | Oral histories |
Behind the pages The collaborative research and editorial process shaping UCLs anniversary books
Across departments, generations and even continents, the anniversary volumes have been shaped by a network of contributors whose work often remained invisible until now. Historians, archivists, designers, and subject specialists have met in cross-faculty workshops to test ideas, challenge assumptions and surface overlooked narratives-from early student activism to the international reach of UCL’s research. Editorial teams have sifted through thousands of pages of Senate minutes, lab notebooks and personal correspondence, weighing what to include not just for ancient accuracy, but for narrative clarity and balance. In regular “story clinics,” staff and student researchers have worked side by side to refine key chapters, checking every date and detail against primary sources while asking a simple question: does this tell the truth about who we were, and who we are becoming?
The production process has been equally collaborative behind the scenes. Draft chapters have passed through rounds of peer review, legal and ethical checks, and consultation with communities whose histories intersect with UCL’s own. Designers and editors have then translated this material into accessible formats, experimenting with visual storytelling to bring archival treasures into focus.Along the way, contributors have drawn on a shared toolkit:
- Joint research sprints to uncover new archival material
- Student-led oral histories capturing lived experience
- Open calls for images from staff, alumni and partners
- Inclusive editorial guidelines to reflect UCL’s global reach
| Role | Main Focus |
|---|---|
| Lead editors | Shape narrative and ensure coherence |
| Archivists | Curate and authenticate historical sources |
| Student researchers | Surface fresh perspectives and questions |
| Design team | Visual storytelling and page layout |
From archive to audience Strategies to engage students staff and alumni with UCLs 200 year story
As UCL opens its collections and newly commissioned publications to wider audiences, the focus is shifting from passive preservation to active participation. Archivists, researchers and communications teams are collaborating to turn manuscripts, photographs and personal testimonies into living resources that speak to contemporary questions of access, innovation and social change. Pop-up exhibitions in libraries and halls of residence, interactive timelines embedded in course materials, and digital “behind-the-scenes” features are inviting students, staff and alumni to confront, question and co-create the institution’s evolving narrative.
To embed this engagement across the university community, the Bicentenary programme is pairing conventional print with digital storytelling and on-campus experiences that encourage dialog rather than one-way broadcast. Initiatives include:
- Curriculum-linked features drawing on newly published research to spark debates in seminars and tutorials.
- Alumni story labs inviting graduates to share memories, artefacts and career reflections that challenge and enrich official histories.
- Student-led digital projects transforming archival material into podcasts, data visualisations and mini-documentaries.
- Staff reading circles using the new Bicentenary titles as a springboard for conversations about UCL’s future commitments.
| Audience | Format | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Students | Seminar toolkits | Critical engagement with history |
| Staff | Reading circles | Shared institutional reflection |
| Alumni | Story labs & online forums | Co-authored Bicentenary memories |
Looking ahead Using the Bicentenary series to inform future research education and public engagement
The forthcoming volumes are more than commemorative artefacts; they are research tools that invite fresh scrutiny of UCL’s past and its evolving role in a changing world. Scholars across disciplines will be able to mine newly digitised archives, curated timelines and critical essays to frame comparative studies on topics such as widening participation, global partnerships and the ethics of innovation. These publications will also support new pedagogical approaches, enabling staff to integrate case studies, primary sources and reflective exercises into modules that challenge students to question how institutions shape knowledge and power. To encourage this, UCL is developing teaching resources that draw directly on the series, including:
- Seminar packs that pair archival documents with contemporary debates.
- Digital story maps tracing the geographic reach of UCL’s research.
- Co-created assignments where students annotate and respond to Bicentenary texts.
Public engagement will be equally central, using the series as a bridge between specialist scholarship and wider audiences in London and beyond. Curated events, podcasts and online exhibitions will highlight lesser-known voices from UCL’s history and invite communities to contribute their own stories and critiques.In practice,this means opening up spaces for dialogue on how universities should respond to urgent global issues,informed by two centuries of experiment and controversy. Early plans include collaborations with schools, cultural organisations and civic partners, as outlined below:
| Initiative | Focus |
|---|---|
| Community Reading Circles | Discuss key Bicentenary essays in local libraries |
| Schools Archive Labs | Introduce pupils to primary sources from UCL’s history |
| City Walks & Talks | Link campus sites to stories from the Bicentenary series |
In Retrospect
As UCL prepares to mark two centuries of innovation, inquiry and impact, these forthcoming publications will do more than celebrate a milestone: they will help define what the university chooses to remember, question and aspire to next. By bringing fresh scholarship, previously untold stories and critical perspectives into the public domain, UCL is using its Bicentenary not simply to look back, but to open up new conversations about the institution’s role in a rapidly changing world.
The books announced today are only the first chapter in that process. As further titles and projects emerge in the run-up to 2026, they will offer staff, students, alumni and the wider public new ways to engage with UCL’s past – and to shape its future.
