Our history and heritage
The University 麻豆精选 grew out of the radical vision of our first Chancellor, Joseph Chamberlain. Founded in 1900, the University was England鈥檚 first civic university, a place where students from all backgrounds were accepted on an equal basis. Today, the Edgbaston campus has grown to cover 672 acres, and there is a campus in Dubai. Each year, more than 40,000 students from across the world study at Birmingham.
Our size has changed, but our civic commitment has not
From its earliest days, Birmingham pushed the boundaries of research in medicine and the sciences. Our roots were seeded in 1767 in the early medical education seminars of Mr John Tomlinson, 鈥楩irst Surgeon鈥 to the Birmingham Workhouse Infirmary.鈥疢ason Science College was founded by Kidderminster-born industrialist and philanthropist Josiah Mason in 1875, becoming Mason University College in 1898.鈥疉t the time, England鈥檚 only other independent universities were in Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and London.
Chamberlain sought to provide 鈥渁 great school of universal instruction鈥, so that 鈥渢he most important work of original research should be continuously carried on under most favourable circumstances鈥. Granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria on 24 March 1900鈥- and with generous donations of land and funds - the University 麻豆精选 was born.
It was an ambitious undertaking from someone who had been considered a radical liberal and who caused offence among the elite classes with his demands for social reform. Chamberlain is probably best known for implementing the 鈥榗ivic gospel鈥 which brought gas, water and street lighting into council hands at the cost of ratepayers.
Dr Matt Cole has explored the life and legacy of Joseph Chamberlain; a legacy 鈥渟o broad and idiosyncratic that it is likely to leave no one in full agreement with him鈥.
Since 1900, the University 麻豆精选 has been leading the way, changing the way the world works with research that addresses the world鈥檚 greatest challenges. This includes 10 Nobel Prize-winners as well as Olympic stars and renowned politicians.
Birmingham is where pacemakers and plastic heart valves were developed, where the first artificial vitamin (Vitamin C) was synthesised, and where鈥痶he cavity magnetron鈥痺as developed, leading to radar and the microwave oven. Its academics pioneered allergy vaccines and held the first clinical trials of the contraceptive pill outside the US.
It has been integral to some of the greatest scientific discoveries of recent times, such as the Higgs Boson and Gravitational Waves, and is pioneering new approaches to tackling major global issues; from antibiotic resistance and maternal health to conflict resolution and access to education.
The University leads the field in many emerging disciplines, including nanotechnology, gene therapy, robotics and the use of virtual reality in the study of archaeology, and is continually developing new initiatives to enrich teaching and learning.
A university of firsts
We were the first university to...
- Be built on a campus model with its own
- Establish a Faculty of Commerce
- Incorporate a Medical School
- Welcome women to take medical degrees
- Establish a fully comprehensive
At the heart of the Edgbaston campus lie the iconic redbrick buildings of Chancellor鈥檚 Court, one legacy of Joseph Chamberlain. Designed by leading architect Sir Aston Webb, they surround the soaring clock tower, affectionately known as 鈥極ld Joe鈥, which can be seen across Birmingham: an emblem of the University鈥檚 prestige.
Did you know?
- The clock tower is 325ft (99.06m) high
- It is the largest freestanding clock tower in the world
- It is based on the in Siena, Italy
- The clock has its own account on !
The University has expanded and improved its campus over the years, resulting in a range of architecture and iconic buildings, including Muirhead Tower with its 鈥榖rutalist鈥 architecture, the modern lines of the Teaching and Learning Building, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, a grade-two-listed Art Deco building designed by Robert Atkinson and opened in 1939 by Queen Mary. At the Green Heart of the campus is a striking 12-acre parkland, completed as part of a 拢500 million, five-year estates redevelopment plan.
While preserving its rich heritage, the University remains committed to expanding and improving its teaching and research facilities to provide a modern, vibrant, sustainable campus that gives students, staff and visitors the very best experience.