Imperial joins forces with The Times to cultivate "shared interests"

A partnership between Imperial and The Times and The Sunday Times was officially launched this week.

The “What the hell is going on?” event marked the start of a year-long collaboration, which will feature joint events to “advance shared interests in the future of science and culture”.

Tuesday evening saw Times journalist and political satirist Matt Chorley joined in conversation by universities minister, Sam Gyimah. The discussion covered politics, changes to higher education and the tuition fee system (as reported in last week's edition of Felix), and the future of British research and innovation in the wake of Brexit.

When first announcing the partnership, Imperial College Union president Rob Tomkies said: “We are very excited about..this partnership and the potential it has to benefit the student community at Imperial."

Emma Tucker, deputy editor of The Times , said: "The Times and The Sunday Times are delighted to partner with Imperial College London to promote our shared belief that it has never been more important for young people to develop a breadth of knowledge and to stay up to date with the news.”

Tomkies added: “We see this relationship as a way of exploring the broader issues around journalism, communication and culture – empowering people to lead and communicate in all fields, not just their scientific specialism.”

To this end, the direction of the collaboration will largely be student-driven. The selection process for five student ambassadors is currently underway. Those chosen will have a key role in designing and organising events, as well as representing the partnership on campus. Ambassadors will also have access to training and workshops with Times journalists.

All students and staff have been given a year’s digital subscription, which also provides access to subscriber-only content, benefits, and events. Subscriptions can be activated via an Imperial email link.