Growing In The Service To Local Cities:a Study Of The Development Of The University Of Birmingham(1880-1920)

The nineteenth century was an important period in the history of British higher education.The creation and development of civic universities in the second half of the nineteenth century was the result of a combination of political,economic and cultural factors in the British society in the nineteenth century.This paper adopts a documentary analysis and case study approach,taking the University of Birmingham as the object of study,focusing on the background of its founding,the development and achievements of the Mason Science College period,the process of obtaining a royal charter and the further development of the independent university status,etc.Through sorting out the development of the University of Birmingham,this paper explores the internal logic of the development of civic universities and their historical influence in the history of British higher education.The paper begins with an analysis of the historical foundations of the creation and development of civic universities in the UK,including both social and educational foundations,with a focus on the development of education in the city of Birmingham during the Victorian period.In 1880,the first students were admitted to Mason Science College in Birmingham,and the founder,Mason,introduced the concept of science education.Mason Science College has been a pioneer in science education for 20 years,which is reflected in its curriculum and teaching practices.At the same time,Mason Science College has maintained its close links with the city,and its management and systems are mutually beneficial to Birmingham.In order to break through the bottleneck,a debate arose within the College on the question of what kind of university should be established for the purpose of seeking independent university status.Under the leadership of Joseph Chamberlain,the University of Birmingham was founded in 1900.After receiving its Royal Charter,the University of Birmingham insisted on developing the humanities,performing scientific research functions and actively integrating into the national higher education system while serving the development of the local city.During the First World War,the University of Birmingham achieved a delicate balance between serving local society and economic development and actively pursuing scientific research in pursuit of university status.The founding and development of the University of Birmingham,which began the development of civic universities as independent universities,is an important historical event in the history of British education.The history of the University of Birmingham illustrates the logic of the development of civic universities in the UK.Civic universities were initially founded to meet the needs of local urban development,so in the first phase they were devoted to the development of applied sciences,dedicated to serving local economic development.Later on,in order to achieve university status,civic universities began to gradually develop the humanities and scientific research functions,striking a relative balance between serving local cities and seeking university status,exploring a unique path for the development of British civic universities.