A new Royal Charter marks the College’s independence from the University of London.
Matt Brown
Normally, Her Majesty only sends telegrams to centenarians. But today, the Queen personally attended the 100th birthday celebrations of Imperial College, granting a Royal Charter to confirm its independence from the University of London.
Imperial’s Rector, Sir Richard Sykes, opened proceedings in the College’s Tanaka Business School, saying it was “Hard to put into terms what this day means for Imperial College”. He spoke of the long-standing relationship between the monarchy and the College, which was built on the profits of Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition of 1851.
In the presence of three Rectors past and present, and one Rector-elect, the Queen thanked “all the people, staff and students, whose work over the decades has allowed Albert’s dream to flourish”.
“I warmly congratulate you on reaching this notable milestone, and wish you continuing success for your next 100 years,” she added.
Earlier in a busy day, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh opened the new Institute of Biomedical Engineering, an interdisciplinary centre that brings together engineers, medical researchers and clinicians from across Imperial.
A new Charter for a new century
Today’s events mark the pinnacle of celebrations for Imperial’s centenary year. The College was founded on 8 July 1907 after the merger of three smaller institutions, and joined the University of London in 1929. Over the past century, the College has produced 14 Nobel Prize winners and two Fields medallists.
Imperial formally agreed to split from the University of London in October last year. Today’s Royal Charter officially enshrines that independence under the following terms:
The Objects of the University shall be to provide the highest specialised instruction and the most advanced training, education, research and scholarship in science, technology and medicine, especially in their application to industry; and in pursuit of these objects to act in co-operation with other bodies.
Honorary degrees
In addition to his ceremonial duties, the Duke of Edinburgh became one of the College’s first recipients of an honorary degree, for his ‘wide-ranging initiatives for young people, as well as his outstanding support for scientific and technological research’. Awards were also given to Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned of Qatar, Dame Vivien Duffield, Lily Safra, and Professor Winston Wong.
Sir Richard Sykes paid tribute to the five: “All of today’s honorary graduates are prominent supporters of science, technology and medicine, and all lead efforts to improve human welfare around the world. We are proud to have this opportunity to recognise their endeavours.”
Postgraduates enrolling from October 2007 will be the first to register for Imperial degrees. Undergraduates will follow from October 2008.