In 2026, UCL will celebrate its Bicentenary, marking 200 years since our establishment as the first university in London.
As part of our bicentennial celebrations, known as UCL200, we will be launching Faces of UCL, a powerful grassroots campaign to recognise UCL’s ground-breaking history and impact through its people and celebrate the achievements of our huge and diverse community. Faces of UCL will recognise staff, students and partners – past and present – uncovering some of our unsung heroes alongside our more famous luminaries.
Students Qiaoyu Ma and Laura Wang, both currently studying for an Education, Society and Culture BA at the UCL Institute of Education, joined the UCL200 team to help us to research some of the fascinating figures from UCL’s past. Here, Laura and Qiaoyu talk about their experiences working on the Faces of UCL project, why they got involved, and some of the stories and surprises they uncovered along the way.
You were funded to work on the Faces of UCL campaign through an Education, Practice and Society Undergraduate Research Fellowship (EPSURF)? Why did you decide to apply?
Laura: Earlier in the year, I had worked with archival and oral history materials through one of my BA modules, which I really enjoyed. That experience made me curious to see what it would be like to be part of a larger research project. I was also excited by the idea of contributing to UCL’s bicentenary and exploring UCL’s hidden histories and voices.
Qiaoyu: I wanted to gain meaningful academic research experience during my undergraduate studies. This fellowship gave me the opportunity to contribute to a real-world research project, and develop my skills in independent analysis, archival work, and collaboration.
What has your work on Faces of UCL involved?
Qiaoyu: We have been researching individuals from UCL’s early history and more recent past, working with a range of sources to create profiles on their life and contributions at UCL and beyond. This included exploring UCL websites, newsletters, books and archives, obituaries, biographical materials, diary entries and newspaper reports.
Laura: In some cases, the material was sparse, so it’s been important to think carefully about how to interpret the evidence and present it in context. It has been a mix of detective work and storytelling, and each profile feels like a chance to bring someone’s memory back into the light.
What have you discovered so far about UCL and our early staff and students?
Laura: Working on this project has shown me just how diverse and layered UCL’s past community has been, with stories that span continents, disciplines, and decades. Some figures are well known while others, such as long-serving porters or early international students, have long been overlooked despite their significant contributions and impact.
"What’s struck me most is the shared thread of resilience and care. Whether that meant breaking gender barriers in law, transforming paediatric medicine, or supporting students day in and day out, these people helped shape UCL’s values in ways that still echo today. Their contributions weren’t always flashy, but they mattered, and it’s been an honour to help piece their stories together."
Qiaoyu: These stories also reveal the institutional changes and social tensions that have shaped British higher education across different historical periods. This work helped me understand that higher education is also a site of identity formation, social memory, and the reproduction of power. Studying these individuals makes me want to do more to recover the stories of those who have been forgotten in mainstream historical narratives.
During your research, have you come across anything that really surprised you?
Laura: Yes - just how wide-ranging the stories of UCL’s early community are! I had expected to encounter mostly academic achievements, but I found a wide range of stories: a science teacher who sang and gave Derby tips, a laws student who helped draft a national Women’s Charter, and a mathematics professor whose aerodynamics research shaped engineering education. It reminded me that a university is shaped not just by big ideas, but by community, a strong sense of justice, and even humour.
Qiaoyu: I was really struck by the stories of UCL women from the early 20th century who achieved remarkable success in the face of significant gender discrimination. Some of them challenged the social constraints imposed on women at the time and actively fought for women’s rights. Others embedded female perspectives into their work, often in subtle and coded ways."
What have you enjoyed most about this project?
Qiaoyu: Getting to know the women from UCL’s past. Their strength and resilience continue to inspire me. I also really appreciated the collaboration with Laura and the UCL200 team, our discussions and shared insights gave me the confidence and motivation to carry out the research
Laura: I enjoyed the investigative nature of the work, tracing records across different sources to build a more complete portrait of someone’s life. It felt like doing detective work for a good cause. I also loved seeing how small historical details, like a line in a staff magazine or a note in a death registry, could bring someone’s story to life. It’s been very special to connect to UCL’s history in such a personal way.
What did you find most challenging?
Both: The records for historical figures, particularly those in behind-the-scenes roles at UCL, were often sparse, inconsistent, or fragmented and we often had to piece together their stories from scattered sources.
Sometimes we would spend hours following leads through newsletters, staff directories, or local records, only to find contradictions or missing pieces. It was a real insight into the challenges of historical research: you rarely get the whole story. That ambiguity can be frustrating, but it also makes us think more critically about whose stories are preserved and whose are overlooked in institutional memory.
What have you learnt from this experience?
Qiaoyu: This experience has taught me that research is not just about “finding answers”, but about asking better questions that others may have overlooked. It has helped me to develop a more critical lens when approaching historical research and I feel much more confident with engaging with complex source materials and historical archives.
Laura Long-term, I would love to work in a role where I can help make knowledge more accessible, whether through policy, museums, or other forms of public education. This project reminded me of the power of stories in shaping people's understanding of the world, and that is a lesson I would really like to take forward in my future work and roles.
Would you recommend the EPSURF Fellowship to other students?
Both: Absolutely. You get to work on something meaningful, develop new skills, and learn how to think more critically, all within a supportive environment. For us, it was a real confidence boost and a reminder undergraduate students can contribute in valuable ways. Whether or not you pursue a research career, the experience will leave a lasting impression.
What are you most looking forward to during the bicentennial year at UCL?
Laura: Sharing the Faces of UCL of course! It’s been such a privilege to contribute to this research so I’m excited to see how those stories will develop and be shared and if they spark curiosity or pride in current students and staff. I think there’s lots of potential to not just celebrate milestones, but the everyday people who make up the fabric of the university.
Qiaoyu: When I imagine UCL 200 years from now, I hope it remains a university that is open and inclusive, one that is committed to social justice, educational equity, and sustainable development. The bicentennial year is an important moment to reinforce this commitment and look to the future.
About UCL200
Launching on 11 February 2026, UCL200 will be an exciting and varied, year-long programme of activities and events to mark our 200th anniversary. Faces of UCL will be launched as a digital campaign across the bicentennial year, with a small selection featured in the UCL200 exhibition. Find out more about UCL200.
About EPSURF
The Education, Practice and Society Undergraduate Research Fellowship (EPSURF) is a research opportunity for undergraduate students in the Department of Education, Practice and Society at UCL’s Institute of Education. It gives students the chance to collaborate with a member of academic staff on an ongoing research project that interests them.