51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

David Cannadine's proposal for a 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bloomsbury is entirely wrong-headed. Birkbeck and 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London do indeed have strong international reputations in the humanities. They also have great strengths in many other areas and very different missions. Birkbeck, UCL and the other colleges in the federal university are flourishing. Students benefit from courses for London awards offered jointly and there is a range of federal research activity. The recent history of the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London must discourage any attempts to rebuild a "leviathan of learning".

Timothy O'Shea Professor of information and communications technologies Birkbeck College, London