Learning for the future
We are educating the next generation of scientists, engineers, clinicians and economists, empowering them with the skills they need to work towards a more sustainable world.
We are informing professionals and the public, to enable them to make changes in their workplaces and in their daily lives.
Our portfolio of courses is designed to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to become leaders in their fields. We are building on this foundation by working to make knowledge and skills for a changing climate central to all learning at Imperial.
Imperial continues to excel at teaching, entrepreneurship and research, winning The Guardian University of the Year award in 2022.
Profiles
PROFILE: Stav Friedman, Project Manager and Adult Education Teac
“My students motivate me to want to do more”
Stav Friedman believes education is the first step to securing our planet’s future. As part of Imperial’s Adult Education programme she teaches a course that opens up climate change issues to the general public.
Ms Friedman designed the syllabus for the 10-week course, starting with the nitty gritty of climate change science and history, before delving into its impacts on humans and other animals, social justice issues and the UN Climate Change Conferences (COP27 etc.). She explains: “Climate change can be a disheartening topic to cover; I've made the course interactive by incorporating a ‘mock’ COP conference and a workshop analysing the life-cycle of products and I try to fill the sessions with positive moments.”
She ensures the material is accessible to everyone, no matter their background. Ms Friedman adds: “There is a wonderful diversity of learners in the class – from graduate students to professionals working in the arts, teaching and business and even a retiree or two! I have learned so much in putting together the course materials, but also from the wonderfully inquisitive questions from my students. They motivate me to want to do more in the fight for our planet.”
Imperial after:hours is the adult education programme from Imperial College London. Run by the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication, it offers a wide range of leisure courses in the arts, humanities, languages and sciences, designed to educate and entertain, and taught by friendly and approachable industry experts.
READ MORE: Our Changing Planet
PROFILE: Abu Taher Muhammad Abdullah, SSCP DTP
“I want to change traditional methods of crime analysis”
For Abdullah Taher Muhammad Abdullah, the impact of climate change on crime in his home country of Bangladesh is all too real. He has spent more than a decade working as a front-line police officer witnessing the effects first hand and is now hoping his research could make a difference on the ground.
He explains: “Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country; after a natural disaster like a cyclone, it becomes difficult to demarcate land boundaries. This creates conflict in the community and allows influential people to take advantage of the vulnerable, leading to an increase in unemployment and crime.” Having digitised 52 years’ worth of historical data, Abdullah is mapping the relationship between crime and climate change at a local, regional, and national level. He is looking for changes in crime rate relative to temperature and rainfall levels in the hope that he can start to predict these patterns.
After his PhD, Abdullah plans to rejoin the Bangladesh Police Force, and to transfer his knowledge to his peers. “I want to change our traditional methods of crime analysis and establish a new strategic police unit which focuses on how to reduce crime and victimisation as a result of climate change.”
Imperial trains postgraduate researchers to address society’s big challenges in government-funded PhD programmes that harness academic study, talent and imagination; all supported by extensive professional development.
The Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet NERC Doctoral Training Partnership aims to inspire a new generation of experts and leaders to tackle some of the toughest environmental challenges of our time.
PROFILE: Max Hobhouse, MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance
“Diversity is the solution to all things.”
After studying History at UC Berkley, then gaining experience in ethical trade and the not-for-profit sector, Max Hobhouse was keen to find a vocational course that really inspired him.
“I am a big believer that diversity is the solution to all things. The course provides a good grounding in financial management and a framework of scientific understanding. You learn in the classroom but are continually expected to apply your thinking in the real world.”
One of his highlights was running the Climate Investment Challenge. This inter-university scheme calls on graduate students to develop creative financial solutions to climate change, with a £10,000 prize at stake. The team’s significant efforts, in attracting 109 submissions from 21 countries and holding the finale event in-person at the Royal Institution, were recognised when they won the Imperial Business School Dean’s Community Award for Sustainable Business Thinking.
Max feels extremely lucky to have been taught by top professors and industry professionals. “I cannot stress how easy it is to listen to a professor when they’ve written the IPCC report!” he adds.
Imperial places great emphasis on the integration of Master’s courses with world class research activities. The award winning MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance, taught by the Grantham Institute and Imperial College Business School, provides graduates with the interdisciplinary skills required in business on issues relating to climate change and sustainability – and has expanded to 120 student places per year due to high demand.