Bertram Vivian Bowden, Baron Bowden was an English scientist and educationist, particularly associated with the development of UMIST as a successful university.

The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for research. On 1 October 2004, it amalgamated with the Victoria University of Manchester to produce a new entity called the University of Manchester.