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The University of Westminster is a public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first polytechnic to open in London. The Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in August 1839, and became the University of Westminster in 1992.

Westminster has its main campus in Regent Street in central London, with additional campuses in Fitzrovia, Marylebone and Harrow. It also operates the Westminster International University in Tashkent in Uzbekistan. The university is organised into three colleges and 12 schools, within which there are around 65 departments and centres, including the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) and the Centre for the Study of Democracy. It also has its Policy Studies Institute, Business School and Law School. The annual income of the institution for 2021–22 was £240.9 million of which £4.25 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £223.7 million. The university is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Association of MBAs, EFMD, EQUIS, and the European University Association.

Westminster's alumni include a Nobel laureate in Medicine, the inventor of cordite, heads of state, politicians and mayors, Olympians, scientists, BAFTA- and Oscar-winning filmmakers, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Grammy Award-winning musicians, journalists, and poets. Graduates of the university are styled with the post-nominal letters Westmin, to indicate the institution.

History

1837–1881: Royal Polytechnic Institution

The Royal Polytechnic Institution was built by William Mountford Nurse in 1837 and opened at 309 Regent Street on 6 August 1838 to provide (in the words of its prospectus of 1837) "an institution where the Public, at little expense, may acquire practical knowledge of the various arts and branches of science connected with manufacturers, mining operations and rural economy".

Sir George Cayley (1773–1857), the "father of aeronautical engineering", was the first chairman and the Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in August 1839. The Polytechnic housed a large exhibition hall, lecture theatre and laboratories, and public attractions included working machines and models, scientific lectures and demonstrations, rides in a diving bell and, from 1839, demonstrations of photography. Prince Albert visited the institution in 1840, when he descended in the diving bell, and became a patron in 1841. The first public photographic portrait studio in Europe opened on the roof of the Polytechnic in March 1841.

In 1847, John Henry Pepper joined the Polytechnic and oversaw the introduction of evening lectures in engineering, applied science and technical subjects for young working Londoners. Pepper wrote several important science education book - one of which is regarded as a significant step towards the understanding of continental drift.

In 1848, a theatre was added to the building, purpose-built to accommodate the growing audiences for the Polytechnic's optical shows. These combined magic lantern images with live performances, music, ghosts and spectres, spreading the fame of what was arguably the world's first permanent projection theatre.

In 1862, inventor Henry Dircks developed the Dircksian Phantasmagoria, where it was seen by Pepper in a booth set up by Dircks at the Polytechnic. Pepper first showed the effect during a scene of Charles Dickens's novella The Haunted Man (1848) at the Regent Street theatre to great success. However, Pepper's implementation of the effect tied his name to it permanently. Though he tried many times to give credit to Dircks, the title "Pepper's ghost" has endured.

Under the chairmanship of Joseph Butterworth Owen, the Royal Polytechnic Institution increased its presence in formal classes for young men traditionally denied the opportunity of higher education in the United Kingdom during the nineteenth century. Expansion gradually gave way to financial difficulty, reflecting a long-standing tension between education and the need to run a successful business. A fatal accident on the premises in 1859 caused the first institution to be wound up and a new one formed. Various regeneration schemes were considered, but in 1879 a fire damaged the roof, precipitating the final crisis.

Campuses

Westminster has four main campuses, three of which are in central London.

The Regent Campus comprises a group of buildings clustered around its historic headquarters at 309 Regent Street. The Regent Street Cinema lies within the 309 Regent Street building, and serves as a fully functioning cinema, open to the public. Located nearby is the Little Titchfield Street building, which houses the library for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, including the Westminster Law School, and the Wells Street building.

The Marylebone Campus is located on Marylebone Road directly opposite Madame Tussaud's and Baker Street underground station. Built in the 1960s it is home to the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Westminster Business School and the Policy Studies Institute. The P3 exhibition area, a 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2) space located in the former concrete construction hall of the School of Engineering, was opened in 2008.

The Cavendish Campus is a modern glass and steel building in New Cavendish Street (Fitzrovia), close to the BT Tower. It houses science, engineering and computer laboratories. The campus is close to Warren Street, Great Portland Street and Goodge Street underground stations.

The Harrow Campus is in a suburb, outside Central London. It is the base for Media, Arts and Design courses. It is also home to London Gallery West which exhibits a broad mix of contemporary media, art and design work. The nearest Tube station to the Harrow campus is Northwick Park on the Metropolitan line.

• Non-campus sites
• Quintin Hogg Memorial Sports Ground (Polytechnic Stadium)
• Cavendish Road, Chiswick
• Quintin Boat Club (QBC)
• Ibis Lane, Chiswick
• International campus sites
• Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT)
• 12 Istiqbol Street, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Organisation and administration

The University of Westminster is incorporated under the Companies Act as a charity and company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital. It is also an exempt charity under the Charities Act 1993.

The university's governing body is the Court of Governors. It meets five times per year and is ultimately responsible for the effective conduct of the activities of the university, including its strategic development, educational character and mission, and finances. The members of the Court of Governors are the trustees of the charity.

Colleges and Schools

The University of Westminster is organised into three colleges and 12 schools, within which there are around 65 departments and research centres:

College of Design, Creative and Digital Industries, incorporating the School of Architecture and Cities, the School of Computer Science and Engineering, the Westminster School of Arts and the Westminster School of Media and Communications.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, incorporating the School of Humanities, the School of Life Sciences, the School of Social Sciences and Westminster Law School.

Westminster Business School, including the School of Applied Management, the School of Finance and Accounting, the School of Management and Marketing and the School of Organisations, Economy and Society.

The University is also home to the institute for Modern and Contemporary Culture, the Centre for the Study of Democracy and the Policy Studies Institute.

Finances

Westminster had an income of £205.1 million for 2017–2018, of which more than £22 million was from funding grants, research grants and contracts.

Coat of arms

The university's coat of arms was granted on 17 May 1993. The predecessor Polytechnic of Central London used the colours of claret and silver and this was adapted into the murrey and argent livery of the arms. The portcullis is taken from the arms of the City of Westminster whilst the open book symbolises learning. The late Queen Elizabeth II, who agreed to continue as the patron on the formation of the university, is represented by the Tudor rose, a royal badge. The motto of the university, "The Lord is our Strength", is influenced by Quintin Hogg and his Young Men's Christian Institute. The open book on the escutcheon contains a Latin motto which reads as "Veritas", meaning "truth".

In the crest the demi lion with battle axe comes from the arms of Sir George Cayley. He founded the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838 on the site of the present University's Regent Street campus. Cayley was an engineer and inventor and pioneer aviator, hence the wings added to the lion. The lion supports a book charged with a portcullis.

Rankings and reputation

Westminster offers Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees as well as certificates and diplomas at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. More than two thirds of Westminster's programmes are recognised by the appropriate professional bodies such as the BCS, BPS, CIOB, CABE, ICE, RICS, HPC etc. in recognition of the high standards of relevance to the professions.

The university has numerous centres of research excellence and was ranked sixth in the UK and 40th globally for Media and Communications by QS World University Rankings 2018. The university was also ranked 15th for Art and Design in the UK, and 18th in the UK for Architecture. The Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2019, which lists the world's best under 50-year-old universities out of 351 universities, ranked Westminster 151–200 in the world.

The university achieved world leading and internationally excellent status for most of their work, ranking second for Communications, Cultural and Media Studies research, 6th for Art and Design research, in addition to the university performing strongly in Architecture and the Built Environment, and Geography and Environmental studies. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, almost 80 per cent of Westminster's submitted research across 20 subject areas was judged to be of international quality. In 2013, Westminster was ranked joint second in the UK by the Architects' Journal in their "AJ Top 100" special issue.

Student life

A Student Representative Council (SRC) was established at the polytechnic in 1933, to create a sense of unity and expand the social activities of its day students. The SRC was affiliated to the National Union of Students but initially restricted itself largely to social activities.

After 1945 it began to campaign on issues such as lifting a ban on religious or political activity within the Polytechnic, and establishing a formal Students' Union. The ban was lifted in 1962 and a Union granted in 1965.

Students' Union

University of Westminster Students' Union (UWSU) was founded in 1966 as The Polytechnic Students' Union. Its first President was Owen Spencer-Thomas (1966–1967). During the 1970s the newly formed Polytechnic of Central London Students' Union (PCLSU) engaged in a strategy of protest and direct action. Against a backdrop of general social unrest, PCLSU campaigned against cuts in student grants, lack of accommodation and the rise in costs for overseas students.

After 1992, the Union was based primarily at the Marylebone site, where the SU served all students across four of its campuses. It now has offices on all campuses. The union also operates a bar, The Undercroft, and the Loft venue, located on the Harrow Campus.

The union has hosted to numerous musical events and gigs including Fleetwood Mac, and most notably the first and only encounter between Cream and Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.

The union is run by five elected Officer Trustees who are campus based.

Student and university media

Smoke Radio is a student-run radio station at the University of Westminster. It was founded in 2004 and broadcasts online from a studio in the university's Harrow campus. Since September 2005 the station has run a 24-hour playout system and broadcast a schedule of live programmes during the week. Smoke Radio has won numerous awards at the Student Radio Association Awards (SRA), and recorded a record six wins in 2018.

Smoke TV is the student television station of the University of Westminster. Launched in September 2011 it is run by students and targeted at students. The station produces programmes covering campus news, film reviews and sport events and showcases student productions such as short films, TV shows, documentaries and music videos.

Press

From 1970 to 1992 the Students' Union published a magazine called McGarel. In the early 1990s, the Students' Union began expressing an interest in new print media, and The Smoke was conceived in 1992. However, in 2006, The Smoke briefly switched to a newspaper format, initially being published fortnightly during term time. The newspaper format was later scrapped for a much smaller magazine format.

Notable people

Notable alumni

Notable Westminster alumni (and others who attended) include:

Architects and sculptors including Sir Thomas Bennett (architect and designer of Saville Theatre and London Mormon Temple), Alfred Bossom (Magnolia Hotel), Laurence Broderick (sculptor of The Bull, Birmingham Bullring), Ludo Campbell-Reid (2004 Olympic Games), Sir Anthony Caro (Dream City at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park), Trevor Dannatt, Ron Herron (Walking City), Ian Ritchie (Royal Shakespeare Company Courtyard Theatre and Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art), Fred Roche (Milton Keynes Development), Alireza Sagharchi (Kings Cross regeneration programme), Cameron Sinclair (co-founder of Architecture for Humanity), Michael Webb (founding member of Archigram), Michael Wilford (Lowry Centre and British Embassy in Berlin) and Chris Wilkinson (Gateshead Millennium Bridge).

Artists and photographers including Sybil Atteck (Trinidadian painter), Norman Blamey (Ordination, The Lavabo), John Frederick Brill (creator of the Bardia Mural), Fougasse (editor of Punch magazine), Iain Macmillan (photographer of The Beatles' Abbey Road album), Charles Keeping (children's author and lithographer Les Misérables, Beowulf and various works by Charles Dickens) and John Ryan (animator and creator of Captain Pugwash), Raheem Kassam (Editor-in-chief of The National Pulse).

Authors and poets including Margery Allingham, Mary Jo Bang, George Barker, Samit Basu, Quentin Crisp, David Gascoyne, Mengistu Lemma and Siddharth Dhanvant Sanghvi.

Business-oriented people including Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe (co-founders of Pret à Manger), Robert Bellinger (former director of Arsenal Football Club), Wilfred Cass (businessman and philanthropist), Moorad Choudhry (Managing Director at Royal Bank of Scotland plc), Michael Jackson (former controller of BBC1 and BBC2, and Chairman of Universal Television), Tej Lalvani (CEO of Vitabiotics and dragon on Dragons' Den), and Adar Poonawalla (CEO of Serum Institute of India).

Entertainers and filmmakers including Raya Abirached (celebrity journalist, and host of the hit TV talent show Arabs Got Talent), Babak Anvari (BAFTA-winning film director), Charlie Brooker (BAFTA-nominated broadcaster), Andrew Dunn (BAFTA winning cinematographer Edge of Darkness, The Bodyguard, Precious and The Butler), Asif Kapadia (Oscar winning filmmaker Senna and Amy), Arthur Max (Oscar nominated and BAFTA winning art director Se7en, Gladiator, Prometheus and The Martian), Seamus McGarvey (cinematographer Atonement, Anna Karenina, The Avengers and The Greatest Showman), Neal Purvis (scriptwriter James Bond series including Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Spectre) and Stanley Unwin.

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