Rector of Imperial College addresses record number of students

Outstanding figures in science, medicine and business recognised today at Imperial College London - <em>News Release</em>

For immediate release
Wednesday 22 October 2008

Leading figures in business, science and medicine are recognised today with the bestowal of honorary doctorates at Imperial College London’s Commemoration Day ceremonies, held in the Royal Albert Hall.

The day sees the graduation of over 2,100 undergraduate students, making these the largest graduation ceremonies that Imperial has ever held. More than 1,100 will graduate with an Imperial College degree, becoming the first undergraduates to do so since the College become an independent university in July 2007.

 

Congratulating all of today's graduands, Imperial's Rector Sir Roy Anderson urged them to use their skills and knowledge to address the world's most pressing challenges, most notably climate change and international financial stability.

"The world that you have inherited will present your generation with major challenges. You in this Hall today are the members of that generation who are well-placed to confront and overcome them," he said.

You have been taught skills that lead to analytical rigour, an understanding of the implications of connectivity, and the importance of basing policy and decisions on hard evidence. Please use this training as you begin your careers.

Sir Roy also outlined the major issues facing the College, including the challenge of identifying the best applicants amidst an increasing number with top grades and whether to develop Imperial College’s ‘footprints’ overseas.

Honorary degrees are awarded to:

• Sir William Castell, Chairman of the Wellcome Trust
• Lord Wolfson of Marylebone, co-founder of the Wolfson Foundation
• Madame Anne Lauvergeon, Chief Executive of leading nuclear energy company Areva
• Professor Christian Bréchot, renowned cell biologist and hepatologist

In additional, Emeritus Professor David Phillips OBE, Senior Research Investigator at Imperial, receives the Fellowship of Imperial College for his services to science education, while Anne Barrett, College Archivist and Corporate Records Manager, receives the Associateship of Imperial College.

The College also awards three Teaching Fellowships, recognising innovative and high-quality teaching, and three Rector's Awards for Excellence in Pastoral Care, a new award for staff who have made exceptional efforts to provide a supportive learning and social environment for students.

This year's Outstanding Achievement Award is presented to fourth year medical student Sukhpreet Dubb for his commitment to widening access to Imperial and its medical school.

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Naomi Weston
Press Office, Imperial College London
Email: n.weston@imperial.ac.uk 
Tel: 020 7594 6704
Out of hours duty press officer: +44 (0)7803 886 248

Notes to editors:

Lord Wolfson of Marylebone

Lord Wolfson of Marylebone

Lord Wolfson is one of the UK's leading philanthropists, providing around £35 million each year through the Wolfson Foundation, which supports excellence in health, education and the arts. He co-founded the Foundation in 1955 with his parents Sir Isaac and Lady Wolfson, and has been Chairman of its Board of Trustees since 1972.

Amongst the many projects at Imperial supported by the Foundation is the Wolfson and Weston Research Centre for Family Health launched in 2002, which is working to reduce infant mortality and birth defects such as cleft palate and spina bifida.

Lord Wolfson's leadership of the Wolfson Foundation is underpinned by extensive business leadership experience. He spent 44 years on the board of Great Universal Stores until his retirement in 1996, including 19 as Managing Director and 15 as Chairman. At the same time, he held the position of Chairman of Burberry's Ltd from 1978 to 1996.

Sir William Castell

As Chairman of the Wellcome Trust, Sir William Castell plays a vital part in securing the international excellence of the UK's biomedical research.

His career has been dedicated to the development of medical and life sciences research, first at Wellcome plc where he held several positions before becoming Commercial Director in 1984.

Sir William Castell

From there, he moved to Amersham plc where, as Chief Executive, he successfully oversaw a major expansion, leading the company to mergers with Pharmacia Biotech and Nycomed ASA to create a world-leading business in medical diagnostics and life sciences research technologies.

In 2004 he took up the post of President and Chief Executive of GE Healthcare, the global medical diagnostics and biosciences business of the General Electric Company. He remains a Director of the Company, and is also a non-executive Director of British Petroleum, a Director on the board of the National Bureau of Asian Research and a member of the Prime Minister's Business Council for Britain.

He was a Member of the Medical Research Council from 2001-2004, and became Chairman of the Wellcome Trust in 2006. He was awarded a knighthood for services to life sciences in 2000.

Mme Anne Lauvergeon

Mme Anne Lauvergeon (MVO) is Chief Executive of Areva, the world leading nuclear energy company. She has devoted her career to industrial development in a variety of capacities. She started her professional career in 1983 in the iron and steel industry and moved afterwards to Usinor.

Mme Anne Lauvergeon

In 1984, she directed the European safety studies for the chemical industry of Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, the French technological research organisation. From 1985 to 1988, she supervised underground utilities activities in and around Paris and was appointed Deputy Director of the General Mining Council in 1988.

She joined the staff of the President of France as Advisor for Economic International Affairs in 1990, becoming Deputy Chief of Staff a year later and acting as ‘Sherpa’, or personal representative, for the President.

In 1995 she became a managing partner of the investment bank Lazard before moving into the nuclear energy sector in 1999. She created Areva in 2001 through the merger of smaller companies. It is now the only nuclear energy company with a presence in each industrial activity linked to nuclear power.

She is a Knight of the Légion d’Honneur and Officer of the National Merit Order.

Pr ofessor Christian Bréchot

A renowned cell biologist and hepatologist, Professor Christian Bréchot has made numerous contributions that have imp roved the understanding and treatment of liver diseases, in particular cancer and hepatitis.

His research focuses on viral hepatitis, with particular regard to their role in liver cancer and to the molecular me chanisms that drive liver regeneration and cancer. He is ranked the fourth most cited a uthor in hepa titis C research, has authored over 350 published papers and has made major contributions to the understanding of the mechanisms that generate liver carcinogenesis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C virus.

Professor Christian Bréchot

He served as Secretary of the European Association for the Study of the Liver between 1993 and 1997, and as a World Health Organisation study coordinator for the standardisation of polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of HIV infections.

He began his career in Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Necker, Paris, becoming Professor of Cell Biology and Hepatology in 1989 before taking up the post of Head of the Hybridotest Laboratory at the Pasteur Institute in 1997.

He was appointed INSERM's Executive Director in 2001 and President of the French National Consortium for Research in Genomics in 2002. He was awarded the French Academy of Medicine's prestigious Jean Valade Award in 2000.

Professor David Phillips OBE

Professor David Phillips is a leading chemist whose enthusiasm for his subject has helped thousands of young people to look at science with new eyes.

He joined Imperial College as Professor of Physical Chemistry in 1989 from the Royal Institution of Great Britain, where he spent ten years as Wolfson Professor of Natural Philosophy and Deputy Director. He served as head of Imperial's Department of Chemistry from 1992 until 2002.

Professor Phillips is also a prodigious researcher, the author of 583 publications, and the founder of the spin-out company PhotoBiotics, which is developing targeted photodynamic therapy for cancer and age-related macular degeneration.

In 1999 he was awarded the OBE for his service to science education. He set up the Schools Liaison Office, now known as Imperial Outreach, which now organises over 85 outreach activities each year. Professor Phillips himself is a regular teacher on these courses, giving highly popular demonstration lectures.

Following his retirement in 2006, he is now Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Investigator, and continues as a valued mentor to outreach staff.

Ms Anne Barrett

As College Archivist and Corporate Records Manager, Anne Barrett carries out vital work to raise the profile of the archive and opening it up to researchers both internally and externally.

She joined Imperial's Central Library in 1982, going on to become the College's archivist in 1989. Under her leadership Imperial's archives have attracted important deposits and an increased number of users, thanks to developments such as automated systems and the College-wide Records Management System. She is currently introducing an Electronic Document Management System.

Access to the archives has also been furthered by her introduction of the archives and records website, which includes links to electronic catalogues.

From 2003 she incorporated the responsibility of Corporate Records Manager into her role, working across the College to ensure that the College has the records system it needs to enable information searches and document retrieval, and to allow it to build the archive of the future.

She is a member of the British Library's Preservation Advisory Panel, the International Council on Archives and the Board of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 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 business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve health in the UK and globally, tackle climate change and develop clean and sustainable sources of energy.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk