Brunel University London facts for kids
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| Type | Public | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Established | 1966 – gained university status by royal charter 1962 – Brunel College of Advanced Technology 1928 – Acton Technical College 1902 – Shoreditch College of Education 1878 – Maria Grey College 1798 – Borough Road College |
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| Endowment | £1.57 million (2022) | |||||||||||
| Budget | £271.3 million (2021–22) | |||||||||||
| Chancellor | Sir Richard Sykes | |||||||||||
| Vice-Chancellor | Andrew Jones | |||||||||||
| Students | 14,165 (2015/16) | |||||||||||
| Undergraduates | 9,840 (2015/16) | |||||||||||
| Postgraduates | 3,285 (2015/16) | |||||||||||
| 974 | ||||||||||||
| Location |
Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH
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England, United Kingdom
51°31′58″N 0°28′22″W / 51.53278°N 0.47278°W |
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| Campus | Suburban | |||||||||||
| Colours | Blue and gold
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| Affiliations | Association of Commonwealth Universities European University Association |
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Brunel University London is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, England. It was founded in 1966 and is named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a famous Victorian engineer. The university is often simply called Brunel.
Brunel University London has over 16,150 students and 2,500 staff members. It is organised into three main colleges, which were set up in 2014. These colleges are: the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences; the College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences; and the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences.
Contents
History of Brunel University
How Brunel University Started
Brunel University London is one of many British universities that were created in the 1960s. Its story began with Acton Technical College. In 1957, this college split into two. One part remained Acton Technical College, teaching skills to technicians. The other part became the new Brunel College of Technology. It was named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a famous British engineer. This new college focused on training engineers.
In 1960, Brunel College of Technology became a "College of Advanced Technology." This meant it was a special college for advanced studies. It needed to grow, so a new location in Uxbridge was chosen for more buildings. Even before construction started, the college's status changed again. In 1962, it was officially named Brunel College of Advanced Technology. It was the tenth and last college to get this title.
Brunel University from 1966 to Today
On June 9, 1966, the college was given a special permission called a royal charter. This allowed it to become a university and give out degrees. From that day, it was known as Brunel University.
The university used both its original Acton campus and the new Uxbridge campus until 1971. In 1980, Brunel merged with Shoreditch College of Education, adding a second campus in Runnymede.
In 1995, the university grew even more by joining with the West London Institute of Higher Education. This added campuses in Osterley and Twickenham. It also meant Brunel could offer many more courses. While it was always strong in engineering and science, new subjects like arts, humanities, and health sciences were added. The number of students also grew to over 12,000.
In 2014, the university changed its name to Brunel University London. In 2016, Brunel celebrated its 50th anniversary since becoming a university. They held many events to mark this special occasion.
In 2022, Professor Andrew Jones became the new Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University London.
Brunel University Campus
In the late 1990s, Brunel planned a big project to improve its campus. They sold off other campus sites and used the money to update the buildings and facilities at the Uxbridge campus. This included making the library bigger, building a modern sports complex, and adding more student housing.
The main Brunel campus was designed by Richard Sheppard, Robson and Partners. Many buildings have a 1960s "Brutalist" style of architecture. The campus has been used as a filming location for several movies and TV shows. One famous example is Stanley Kubrick's movie A Clockwork Orange, which filmed many scenes there.
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How Brunel University is Organised
Academic Colleges
Brunel University has three main academic colleges:
- College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences
- Brunel Design School
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Computer Science
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences
- Arts and Humanities
- Brunel Business School
- Brunel Law School
- Economics and Finance
- Education
- Social and Political Sciences
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
- Brunel Medical School
- Health Sciences
- Life Sciences
Research Institutes
Research at Brunel is organised into five institutes:
- Institute of Communities and Society
- Institute of Digital Futures
- Institute of Energy Futures
- Institute of Health, Medicine and Environments
- Institute of Materials and Manufacturing
Leadership of the University
Brunel University is governed by a group called the Council. This group includes university staff, students, and other independent members. The Council chooses the Vice-Chancellor and other important leaders.
The current Chancellor of the university is Sir Richard Sykes. The Vice-Chancellor since 2022 is Professor Andrew Jones.
The university's academic decisions are made by the Senate, which is led by the Vice-Chancellor.
Brunel's Coat of Arms
Brunel University's coat of arms was given to the university in 1966. It has different symbols that show the university's history and values. The stone arch represents Isambard Kingdom Brunel, after whom the university is named. The compass and cogwheel show technology, which was a main focus of the university when it started. The white shield with black spots (called ermine lozenge) is a nod to Lord Halsbury, the university's first Chancellor. The swan symbolises Uxbridge, where the main campus is located.
Academics and Learning at Brunel
Brunel students can use special labs for things like electronic imaging and advanced experiments. They also have access to flight, driving, and train simulators, a 3-D body scanner, and motion-capture equipment. There are also great sports and performing arts facilities.
Many students on undergraduate courses can take part in practical work placements and projects. This is a key part of how Brunel teaches, giving students real-world experience.
Research at Brunel
Brunel is known for its research. In 2014, Brunel was ranked 33rd in the UK for its research power. This means its research is very impactful.
The courses at Brunel are based on the research done by its staff. This includes research in areas like Law, Cancer Genetics, Environmental Science, Human-Centred Design, and Sports Medicine.
'Made in Brunel' Design Show
Brunel's Design School holds an annual exhibition called Made In Brunel. This show helps to promote and display the work of final year design students to people in the design industry. It's a great way for students to show off their amazing projects.
University Rankings
| National rankings | |
|---|---|
| Complete (2021) | 80 |
| Guardian (2021) | 116 |
| Times / Sunday Times (2021) | 110 |
| Global rankings | |
| ARWU (2020) | 701–800 |
| CWTS Leiden (2020) | 223 |
| QS (2021) |
342= |
| THE (2021) | 351–400 |
| British Government assessment | |
| Teaching Excellence Framework | Silver |
Brunel University London usually does well in UK university rankings. It has also been recognised in world rankings. For example, in 2015, Brunel was ranked 25th in the world for universities under 50 years old.
Brunel is currently ranked among the top 350 universities in the world by the QS World University Rankings 2025. In the Complete University Guide 2025, it is among the top 50 UK universities for subjects like civil engineering, computer science, and law.
The university also won the Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2011, which is a very important award for universities.
Student Life at Brunel
Facilities for Students
Brunel has a gym, a spa, and a running track with professional training facilities. On campus, there is also a pharmacy, a shop, a bar called Locos, and a nightclub called Venue. There is also a café named "1966" after the year the university was founded.
The Bannerman Centre is at the heart of the campus. It has a four-floor library with about 400,000 books and 1,500 study spaces. It is usually open 24/7 during term-time. The Bannerman Annexe has the Careers Centre, computer labs, and large teaching rooms.
Union of Brunel Students
The Union of Brunel Students is the student organisation at Brunel University. It is located in the Hamilton Centre on the Uxbridge campus.
The Union runs two places on campus: the Venue nightclub and Loco's bar. It is led by students who are elected by other students.
The Brunel Times & Hillingdon Herald
The Brunel Times is the official student newspaper of Brunel University. Before 2019, it was called Le Nurb. The newspaper is run by student volunteers and funded by the Union of Brunel Students.
Hillingdon Herald is a monthly newspaper written by Brunel students. It focuses on news from the London Borough of Hillingdon and wider London. It started in October 2021.
Formula Student Racing
Brunel was one of the first UK universities to join the Formula Student engineering competition. This is an event where universities from around the world design and build their own racing cars. Brunel's Formula Student teams have won awards every year since they first entered in 1999.
The Brunel Racing team is made up of both undergraduate and postgraduate students. They work together to design and build a new car each year.
Student Housing
Brunel has 34 self-catering student halls on campus. There are 4,549 rooms in total, including studio flats for couples. Rooms are available for all students, including those with disabilities. All rooms have internet access.
Many of the student halls are named after bridges designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Others are named after him or other famous engineers and scientists. For example:
- Clifton Hall (after the Clifton Suspension Bridge)
- Saltash Hall (after the Royal Albert Bridge)
- Chepstow Hall (after the bridge at Chepstow)
- Fleming Hall (after Sir Alexander Fleming)
- Faraday Hall (after Sir Michael Faraday)
Notable People from Brunel University
Famous Academics
- Bernardine Evaristo: Professor of Creative Writing, who won the Booker Prize in 2019.
- Will Self: Professor of Modern Thought.
- Heinz Wolff: A professor who started the Brunel Institute for Bioengineering.
- Benjamin Zephaniah: Professor of Creative Writing.
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Vice-Chancellors of Brunel
- 1966 to 1971: James Topping
- 1971 to 1981: Stephen Bragg
- 1981 to 1989: Richard Evelyn Donohue Bishop
- 1990 to 2001: Michael Sterling
- 2002 to 2006: Steven Schwartz
- 2006 to 2012: Christopher Jenks
- 2012 to 2021: Julia Buckingham
- 2021 to present: Andrew Jones
Chancellors of Brunel
- 1966 to 1997: Tony Giffard, 3rd Earl of Halsbury
- 1998 to 2012: John Wakeham, Baron Wakeham
- 2013 to present: Sir Richard Sykes
Famous Alumni (Former Students)
Brunel University London has many famous former students. Here are some of them:
Media, Entertainment, and Arts
- Ray BLK: Singer-songwriter.
- Laurence Rickard: Actor, screenwriter, and comedian.
- Shohreh Aghdashloo: Actress.
- Nick Abbot: Radio presenter.
- Carl Barât: Musician from the bands The Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things.
- Jo Brand: Comedian.
- Greg Davies: Actor and comedian.
- Lee Mack: Comedian.
- Archie Panjabi: Actress.
- Lucy Verasamy: Weather forecaster.
- Damson Idris: British Actor.
Politics and Royalty
- Joyce Anne Anelay: Politician.
- Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg: Member of the Luxembourg royal family.
- Prince Abdul Fattaah of Brunei: Member of the Brunei royal family.
- John McDonnell: Politician, former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.
- Shailesh Vara: Politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
- Abang Johari Openg: Chief Minister of Sarawak, Malaysia.
- Chen Jining: Communist Party Secretary of Shanghai.
Sports
- Tony Adams: Footballer, former Arsenal and England captain.
- Eniola Aluko: England Ladies footballer.
- Ross Brawn: Team principal for the Mercedes Formula One team.
- James Cracknell: Rower, Olympic gold medallist.
- Audley Harrison: Boxer, Olympic gold medallist.
- Richard Hill: Rugby player, 2003 Rugby World Cup winner.
- Michael Olowokandi: Former NBA basketball player.
- Perri Shakes-Drayton: Athlete.
- Iwan Thomas: Athlete.
- Heather Fell: Olympic Modern Pentathlete.
Images for kids
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Uxbridge (Vine Street) railway branch line.jpg
The former Uxbridge (Vine Street) railway branch line, now part of the campus.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad Brunel para niños
- List of universities in the United Kingdom
- Universities in London
