Sir Michael Barber. the Head of the Office for Students (OfS), visited Imperial College London on the morning of Wednesday 13th February.

The OfS Head was accompanied by Imperial President, Professor Alice Gast, and the Provost, Professor Ian Walmsley, as the visit began at the Carbon Capture Pilot Plant in the ACE Extension (ACEX) building. Dr. Colin Hale, Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering, was in attendance as Chemical Engineering students discussed their learning experience and ran a demonstration of the Carbon Capture plant for Sir Michael, Professor Gast and Professor Walmsley.

Sir Michael’s visit concluded with a trip to the Imperial Enterprise Lab. Following a short introduction by Liz Choonara, Head of Programmes & Community at the Imperial Enterprise Lab, a number of student entrepreneurs presented their start-ups and fledgling businesses, providing the guests with an insight into the work of the Enterprise Lab.

The event ended with a ‘round table’-style discussion, chaired by Becky Neil, Imperial College Union Deputy President (Welfare), during which students in attendance had an opportunity to ask the guests questions. Topics of discussion ranged from student entrepreneurship and the student experience at Imperial to the increasing cost of international tuition fees and Imperial’s recognition on a global scale.

Speaking to Felix after his visit, Sir Michael Barber said:

“I’ve really loved meeting the students here. I’m very inspired by the students I’ve just met. You see the energy, the creativity in the room. I think it’s a fantastic place to come and I’m hugely grateful to everybody here who enabled me to come visit.”