Birkbeck University of London

Birkbeck, University of London was founded by philanthropist George Birkbeck as the London Mechanics' Institute in 1823, to provide education to working-class people in the capital, radically allowing artisans and craftsmen to learn science, art, and economics. Seven years after opening, the Institute began admitting women, one of the first institutions in the country to do so. Today, Birkbeck is best known as one of the few UK universities specializing in evening higher education, allowing students to work full-time while pursuing a real degree, though daytime teaching for undergraduate courses has been introduced more recently. The university is organized into five faculties offering over 200 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and its alumni include Nobel laureates and prominent political leaders.