Universities and student life in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries

Thursday 19 February 2026, 11am-1pm,

European Museum of Students (MEUS), University of Bologna, Italy (2nd floor, Palazzo Poggi, Via Zamboni, 33 BOLOGNA)

We are pleased to announce that the European Museum of Students will host a special event to mark the publication of Student London: A New History of Higher Education in the Capital (UCL Press 2026) 

MEUS is the only museum in Europe about the history of students. It goes back in time to unveil the role played by students at the university and in society. Immerse yourself in the student world, with 400 exhibits, including objects, paintings, manuscripts, sculptures, posters, reconstructions of room settings, vintage costumes, videos, films and documentaries. In 2026 a new exhibition on ‘La Pantera’, an Italian student movement from the 1990s, will open.

All are welcome to attend the workshop, please email ioe.ichre@ucl.ac.uk for more information.

Programme

Maria Teresa Guerrini (MEUS), Welcome 

Tom Woodin (UCL), Introduzione alla storia degli studentesse e studenti [Introduction to the history of students]

Georgina Brewis and Sam Blaxland (UCL), Eat, drink and be merry: Student life at London’s first university since 1826, reflections on Student London: A New History of Higher Education in the Capital (UCL Press 2026) 

Mirella d’Ascenzo (University of Bologna), Studenti e studentesse in formazione come futuri insegnanti presso l’Università di Bologna tra Otto e Novecento [Students training as future teachers at the University of Bologna beteeen the 19th and 20th centuries]. Please note this talk will be in Italian.

Daniel Laqua and Henry Dee (University of Northumbria), Educational mobility and student activism in Western Europe: New perspectives

Discussion

Maria Teresa Guerrini (MEUS), Guided tour of the museum