Strengthening partnerships and global influence

Established in 1823 to educate working Londoners, Birkbeck has a long-standing civic mission that continues to shape who we are. As London evolves, so does our responsibility to widen access, empower communities, and deliver research and cultural engagement that benefits society locally and globally.

Birkbeck is recognised globally for providing flexible education that reaches underrepresented learners, unlocking the potential of our students to change society. Our partnerships with public, cultural and community organisations, as well as with industry, seek to address the pressing challenges facing the world.

What have we done?

• Supported underrepresented learners to access and succeed in higher education, bringing benefits to their communities and employers.
• Delivered highly skilled graduates to the London workforce including public servants, entrepreneurs and business and creative leaders.
• Produced research that delivers measurable civic impact.
• Developed an entrepreneurial mind-set in our students and supported business growth and productivity through our flagship enterprise programmes.
• Developed and sustained a network of over 100,000 alumni worldwide.
• Built relationships with employers and industry partners that support both innovation and our civic role.

What will we do over the next five years?

• Lead as a civic university in London and beyond by making it easier to work with Birkbeck and by deepening collaboration with industry, local government, education providers, and community organisations to address key social, economic and cultural challenges and deliver measurable benefits.
• Expand policy engagement and embed civic purpose, inclusivity and co-production across our education and research supporting civic needs and creating graduates with the skills and ambition to make a meaningful difference in their communities, workplaces and society.
• Empower our staff to advance our civic mission, enabling innovative teaching and research that enhances impact and reinforces Birkbeck’s distinctive role in and beyond London.

Our success measures

By 2031:

• We will have developed and nurtured at least two new partnerships with UK Further Education providers, as well as continued to extend our teaching model beyond Birkbeck through new partnerships with higher education providers.
• We will have further developed our partnerships with employers, ensuring that 100% of undergraduate programmes in relevant disciplines are developed with employer engagement.
• We will have ensured that all undergraduates have the opportunity to take up a placement or alternative employability experience, if they wish to.
• We will have built a strong portfolio of sustained partnerships across our five priority themes, where most activity is delivered through repeat, long-term collaborations that generate clear innovation and real-world impact.

Student case study

Pranjal Garg: from India to London, how Birkbeck shaped my career in astronomy.