Promoting London science in Beijing

A London Mayor's Office and London Development Agency (LDA)-run event gave one Imperial alumnus in Beijing the opportunity to talk about the collaborative opportunities that the 2012 Games could offer to London and China

The London Science in the City Forum, took place during the second week of the Olympic Games, and Imperial College alumnus Henry Wang (MSc Chemical Engineering 1977) was invited to speak on the subject of ‘skills and talent’ for London’s science base. The forum focused on how London’s science base will contribute towards the Olympics in 2012 plus greater cooperations between UK and China, including universities which are undertaking research into sports science and biomedicine, and working directly with sports professionals.

Henry has worked for the Royal Dutch Shell group of companies for over 30 years, and currently holds the position of GM and Principal Service Manager for Clean Coal Energy and Conversions in China at Shell Global Solutions. He is also Vice Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce, President Elect of Rotary Club of Beijing and a member of the OECD BIAC China Task Force. In his role at the Chamber of Commerce, Henry works to understand and represent the opportunities and challenges faced by British businesses in China, and it was in this capacity that he spoke at the LDA event,  as a member of a panel which included Baroness Jo Valentine, Chair of London First, and Professor Malcolm Grant, President and Provost of University College London.

Henry spoke about London’s connectivity with the rest of the world, which has led a remarkable breadth and diversity in the talent pool at the UK’s universities, particularly those in London, such as Imperial College. He commented that the UK is second only to the US in terms of attracting students from China, with a great majority opting to study in the capital city.

In the course of his talk, Henry spoke about the quality of regional research clusters being underpinned by the calibre of the academics working within them, as well as the students and junior researchers who come up through the system. He suggested that interdisciplinary research taking place at institutions such as Imperial is successful because it matches the needs of industry and society.

The event was attended by over 150 senior representatives from Chinese and UK businesses and academic institutions, with the aim of showcasing London’s existing science and technology offer, enthusing businesses about the opportunities for collaborative work, and facilitating further international partnerships in the capital in the lead up to the next Olympic Games in 2012.