London South Bank University

London South Bank University stands on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Southwark. Founded in 1892 as the Borough Polytechnic Institute, it grew from a local effort led by Edric Bayley and others to improve industrial skills and general knowledge. The university occupies a triangular campus site near Elephant and Castle, with buildings that have evolved over more than a century. Its history includes mergers with schools such as the Brixton School of Building and Battersea College of Education. The university now hosts centres like the School of Health and Social Care and Elephant Studios. It has 16,840 students and 1,700 staff, reflecting its role in higher education. The university is recognised for its practical approach to learning and innovation. In 2016 it was named Entrepreneurial University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards. Its teaching quality was awarded a Silver rating in the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework and maintained in 2023. The institution has a tradition of public lectures by figures such as George Bernard Shaw and Henry M. Stanley. During the First World War it produced munitions and gas masks, and during the Second World War it continued to serve meals to the homeless despite bomb damage. Artists like David Bomberg taught there, forming the Borough Group in 1946. Visitors to the campus find modern facilities alongside historic buildings. The Borough Road building features murals by Roger Fry and Duncan Grant, originally created in 1911. The National Bakery School, opened in 1894, remains a key part of the university. Newer additions include the Enterprise Centre and CEREB, a centre for energy research. The campus also includes sports grounds and specialist workshops. The surrounding area of Southwark offers a mix of cultural and historical sites, linking the university to the wider community.