Dear student,
Welcome to the College. As Imperial’s Provost, responsible for leading our academic mission in teaching, research and innovation, I am delighted that you have chosen to join us. I hope that you will find the College to be an intellectually and socially exciting and vibrant community, and that your time here will be stimulating, productive and enjoyable.
Over the coming days and weeks, you will be taking part in a variety of induction activities, all of which aim to give you a warm welcome to the College. I hope you will find this an exciting start to your journey here with us at Imperial.
It is of course a very different world for you than for last year’s class. Campus might feel a little unusual, but our community is as strong as ever. We are building on cutting-edge digital learning concepts that will support safety as a priority and at the same time allow new ways of interacting with colleagues from around the world. We are committed to keeping you safe during these uncertain times and we continue to be guided by the latest official government guidance. You can find the College’s own guidelines on our website, which I urge you to familiarise yourself with if you intend on visiting campus. ‘Protect and respect’ is our simple message to keep you safe. Together we can support each other to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Many of you will have seen how Imperial has been at the forefront of the international fight against COVID-19, from the ground-breaking research which informed the government’s decision to enter lockdown in March through to developing a vaccine which is currently in its human trial phase. You are joining a community making real-world change.
Postgraduates are an important part of the Imperial community. Each of you has worked hard to get here, supported along the way by your mentors, work colleagues, and your families and friends. Your talent and your enthusiasm will stand you in good stead in your time here. Your value to each other is immeasurable, not just as a support and friendship group, but also as colleagues to discuss ideas with.
Imperial’s researchers work fluidly across disciplinary boundaries, and you will find how valuable this reach is as you learn from those both in your own fields and from engineering, medicine, and science colleagues and students. Look out for opportunities and try to take advantage of these.
You will all know from your undergraduate degrees how fast time flies as a student. I have no doubt that the same will be true for your postgraduate degrees, savour every minute of your time here and make the most of what the College has to offer.
Imperial celebrates its diversity and the richness of educational experience that provides. Building your networks in this new world is a challenge, but the school and the Student Union representatives for your Department will organize activities that can help you. Get to know them and find ways to connect to the wider Imperial community that meet your own needs.
This is the start of a very great journey for all of you, I wish you every success in your time with us and beyond.
Best wishes,
Ian