City, University of London
City, University of London is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, and a member institution of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute, and became a university when The City University was created by royal charter in 1966.[3] The Inns of Court School of Law, which merged with City in 2001, was established in 1852, making it the university's oldest constituent part.[4] City joined the federal University of London on 1 September 2016, becoming part of the eighteen colleges and ten research institutes that then made up that university.[5] In August 2024, City will merge with St George's, University of London to form City St George's, University of London.[6]
Motto
To Serve Mankind
1852 – Inns of Court School of Law
1894 – Northampton Institute
1966 – gained university status by royal charter
2016 – constituent college of University of London
The Princess Royal
(as Chancellor of the University of London)
19,975 (2019/20)[2]
11,020 (2019/20)[2]
8,955 (2019/20)[2]
Urban
Red and white
City has strong links with the City of London, and the Lord Mayor of London serves as the university's rector.[7][8] The university has its main campus in Central London in the London Borough of Islington, with additional campuses in Islington, the City of London, the West End and East End. It is organised into six schools, within which there are around forty academic departments and centres,[9] including the Department of Journalism, Bayes Business School (formerly Cass Business School), and City Law School which incorporates the Inns of Court School of Law.[10] The annual income of the institution for 2021–22 was £262.1 million, of which £12.9 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £328.2 million.[1]
City is a founding member of the WC2 University Network which developed for collaboration between leading universities of the heart of major world cities particularly to address cultural, environmental and political issues of common interest to world cities and their universities.[11] The university is a member of the Association of MBAs, EQUIS and Universities UK. Alumni of City include Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah,[12] members of Parliament of the United Kingdom, governors, politicians and CEOs.
City has sites throughout London,[28] with the main campus located at Northampton Square in the Finsbury area of Islington. The Rhind Building which houses the School of Arts and Social Sciences is directly west of Northampton Square. A few buildings of the main campus are located in nearby Goswell Road in Clerkenwell.
Other academic sites are:
National rankings
38
61
66
901–1000
352
351–400
Student life[edit]
Students' Union[edit]
The City Students' Union is run primarily by students through four elected sabbatical officers, the chief executive and an elected assembly (composed of current students), with oversight by a trustee board. The Students' Union provides support, representation, facilities, services, entertainment and activities for its members. It is run for students, by students.[42]
The Students' Union manages most aspects relating to students' societies, such as booking spaces for events on campus, holding funds and distributing grants, and providing training to their committees.
Student media[edit]
City currently has two student-run media outlets, including Carrot Radio, which was co-founded by journalism postgraduates Jordan Gass-Pooré and Winston Lo in the autumn of 2018.[43] Carrot Radio currently records weekday podcasts. The second is the student-led online magazine, Carrot Magazine. They released their first print magazine in December 2017.
Other[edit]
For a number of years, City students have taken part in the annual Lord Mayor's Show, representing the university in one of the country's largest and liveliest parades.
Sustainability ranking[edit]
City ranked joint 5th out of the 168 universities surveyed in the 2019 People & Planet league table of the most sustainable UK universities[44] having climbed from 7th place in the 2016 league. In both the 2016 and 2019 rankings, it was the highest ranking University of London institution, and one of only four London institutions in the top twenty.
The league table's Fossil Free Scorecard report, drawn from Freedom of Information requests, found that £800,000 (6.4%) of City's £12.5m endowment was invested in fossil fuels, and that the institution had not made a public commitment to fossil fuel divestment. It also noted nearly £1m of research funding into renewables since 2001 with just £64k of total funding from fossil fuel companies; and no honorary degrees or board positions held by fossil fuel executives.[45]
City announced on 4 July 2023 that it was divesting its investments from fossil fuel producers.[46]
In popular culture[edit]
City University's Bastwick Street Halls of Residence in Islington was the first home of MasterChef following its 2005 revival.[61][62]