Imperial launches new campus
BoJo hits up QTR in search of an invisibility cloak
Last week the new campus, Imperial West, was launched at an event that attracted the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, and Universities & Science Minister, David Willetts. At the event the Mayor and the Minister took time to have some hands on time with the College’s latest research (including the famous invisibility cloak) in an event that attempted to display the potential of the new campus.
The College used the opportunity as a “launch of the vision for Imperial West”. The new site in White City is being described as a research and translation campus. Imperial West will also include accommodation for 600 postgraduates and researchers, with some having already been occupied since September.
The launch event, with 700 attendees, began with in the Great Hall with speeches from the Chair of the College Council, Baroness Manningham-Buller, and the Rector & President, Sir Keith O’Nions.
Speaking at the event, Mr Willetts said, “We’re used to thinking of London as a great legal centre, as a great financial centre, as a great centre for culture, theatre and the arts, but London is also one of the world’s great centres for universities and science”.
The formal event was ended with a speech from the Mayor in which he laid out what he thought Imperial West could achieve. He noted that London has always been in the centre of scientific discovery, citing the first TV set, first machine gun and Darwin’s theory of evolution.
He finished by saying that Imperial researchers would make breakthroughs fundamentals of physics, “why the heart goes boom, boom, boom” and why toast falls butter-side down. Mr Johnson also asked that someone explained to him how “gravity worked”.
Following the speeches, the mix of politicians, business leaders and other guests were led to a scientific exhibition in the Queen’s Tower Rooms. There they were greeted by a cake in the shape of the new campus, which reportedly took 80hrs to make, and a range of research displays. These included ultra-efficient rechargeable batteries, microchips incorporated with DNA analysis, synthetic biosensors and appetite regulation technology.
The Mayor was reportedly keen to try the “Harry Potter” style invisibility cloak and both he and David Willetts took turns to have a go. The cloak is a result of the group researching meta-materials. The Rector had already noted that evening that the ability to “disappear” may be a useful skill for politicians.
