University of West London (UWL)

The University of West London draws on a heritage of 150 years in teaching and professional education. First founded as the Lady Byron School in 1860, the institution as it exists today was originally formed from the merger of Ealing College of Higher Education, Thames Valley College of Higher Education, the London College of Music and Queen Charlotte’s College of Health Care Studies. In 1991, the institution became the Polytechnic of West London, before gaining full university status in 1992 to become Thames Valley University. The University subsequently evolved through a number of mergers. It merged with Northwick Park School of Nursing, Riverside College of Nursing and the North West Thames Regional Health Authority's AIDS Unit in 1994, Berkshire College of Nursing and Midwifery in 1995, and with Reading College and School of Art and Design in 2004. In July 2010 the University completed the divestment of its site in King's Road, Reading, (now known as Reading College) and in April 2011 formally changed its name to The University of West London, following prior approval from The Privy Council. The new name reflects a re-focusing of the University's activities on its Ealing and Brentford sites. In May 2011 the University celebrated the installation of Laurence Geller as its new Chancellor. Laurence is himself an alumnus of the University and a leading figure in the hospitality and tourism sector. From the outset, the University has played and continues to play a significant role in the educational, cultural and economic life of its region. The University is home to a number of academic schools offering courses in a diverse range of subjects. 

In 2009 the University was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for outstanding achievement and excellence in hospitality education from Her Majesty the Queen - a recognition of the quality of its teaching provision.