Strong links with Asia celebrated with Imperial College London Centenary tour

Sir Richard Sykes leads tour of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and India - <em>News Release</em>

For immediate use
Friday 23 November

Senior figures from Imperial College London set off on an eight day tour of Asia today, in a visit to celebrate the College’s strong links with the region.

Led by Rector, Sir Richard Sykes, the tour will take in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and India and is part of Imperial’s Centenary celebrations.

Sir Richard and his team will meet alumni associations in Asia and explore the progress of research collaborations established between Asian institutions and Imperial College. A highlight of the trip will be an Asia Convocation, to be held in Singapore on Friday 30 November, which provides Imperial students with a rare opportunity to graduate outside the UK.

Sir Richard said: “As Imperial’s Centenary year draws to a close, I am delighted to be visiting this region, which has a great appetite for science, technology and medicine that we at Imperial College share wholeheartedly.”

He added: “I hope this tour will express to our many Asian students and graduates how much we appreciate their contributions to our College life. It also offers a welcome opportunity to visit our collaborators across Asia, with whom we are carrying out some exciting and important research.”

The visit includes dinners with alumni associations of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and lectures by Sir Richard at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

It will also incorporate the launch of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Mumbai on Monday 3 December. This is a centre established by Imperial’s Tanaka Business School aimed at enabling innovation management in UK and Indian companies.

Other links between Imperial and Asia include research with the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, where work to develop greener aircraft engines has been recognised with an India Education and Research Initiative Major Award.

In addition, there are a Malaysia-Imperial Doctoral Programme, which enables PhD students to study at both Imperial and a Malaysian university, and a joint PhD programme with Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research.

Imperial’s tour of Asia includes Sir Richard Sykes, Professor Mary Ritter, Pro Rector for Postgraduate and International Affairs, Dr Tidu Maini, Pro Rector Emeritus, Development and Corporate Affairs, Dr Piers Baker, Director, International and External Academic Affairs, Mrs Fiona Kirk, Director of Development and Professor Dorothy Griffiths, Deputy Director of Tanaka Business School.

For further information contact:

Naomi Weston
Imperial College London Press Office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6704
Email: n.weston@imperial.ac.uk

Notes to editors:

Full programme details

Malaysia:

24 November - Alumni Centenary dinner, held in Kuala Lumpur and hosted by the Imperial College Alumni Association of Malaysia. The dinner hopes to welcome over 200 alumni and guests of many different generations from around Malaysia.

26 November - The Imperial College Centenary Symposium, in association with the Malaysia – Imperial Doctoral Programme (MIDP). This one-day research symposium will look at Science, Engineering and Medicine in the 21st Century covering a range of issues from cancer and infectious disease, bioengineering and imaging science to engineering and medicine.

26 November - Lecture at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, by Sir Richard Sykes, Rector of the College.

Singapore:

28 November – The Imperial College Centenary Symposium, in association with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore (A*STAR) Imperial Programme. Sir Richard Sykes, will give the welcome speech. Senior academics from Imperial College, the A*STAR Research Institutes and Singapore’s universities will gather to present and debate key global issues.

29 November - The Imperial College Centenary Alumni Seminar. This is aimed at alumni of the College will look at developments in management, technology and healthcare. The event is organised by the Imperial College Alumni Association of Singapore (ICAAS).

29 November - Lecture at the British High Commission in Singapore, by Sir Richard Sykes, Rector of the College.

30 November – The Asia Convocation 2007. This ceremony provides students with a rare opportunity to graduate outside the UK.

30 November - Centenary Gala Dinner for the College’s alumni in Singapore.

Thailand:

1 December - Centenary Dinner in Bangkok, hosted by the Thailand Alumni Association. There are almost 550 alumni in Thailand and this will provide an opportunity for people to network and meet old friends.

India:

3 December - Launch of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre in Mumbai for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The aim of the centre is to create a visionary business centre which will help Indian and British companies improve performance in innovation management. The Centre will provide channels of knowledge exchange between India and its global partners by effective integration of research, education, and practice.

Biography of Sir Richard Sykes:

Sir Richard Sykes became Rector of Imperial College London in January 2001. He was awarded a BSc in Microbiology from Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, a PhD in Microbial Biochemistry from Bristol University, and a DSc from the University of London. He received a knighthood in the 1994 New Year's Honours list for services to the pharmaceutical industry.

Before joining Imperial, Sir Richard had a thirty year career in pharmaceutical research and industry with Glaxo, subsequently Glaxo Wellcome, where he was Chairman and Chief Executive, and then GlaxoSmithKline, which he left as Chairman in 2002.

He is Chairman of the Singapore Biomedical Sciences International Advisory Council, Director of Bio*One Capital, the investment arm of the Singapore Economic Development Board, and a member of the International Advisory Panel of Temasek which owns and manages the Singapore Government's direct investments.

In 2004 he was awarded Honorary Citizenship of Singapore for his contribution to the development of the country’s biomedical sciences industry.

About Imperial College London

Rated as the world's fifth best university in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement University Rankings, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts over 12,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

With 66 Fellows of the Royal Society among our current academic staff and distinguished past members of the College including 14 Nobel Laureates and two Fields Medallists, Imperial's contribution to society has been immense. Inventions and innovations include the discov ery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This com mi tment to the application of our research for the benefit of all continues today with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle climate change and mathematical modelling to predict and control the spread of infectious diseases.

The College's 100 years of living science will be celebrated throughout 2007 with a range of events to mark the Centenary of the signing of Imperial's founding charter on 8 July 1907.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk