The President of Mozambique takes time out from his Olympic commitments to pay a visit to Imperial.

The President of Mozambique took time out from his Olympic commitments on Friday to pay a visit to Imperial.

President Emilio Guebuza, who has led the Republic of Mozambique since 2005, was welcomed to the College’s South Kensington Campus by Pro Rector (Enterprise) Edward Astle.

The President, who is currently visting the UK to attend Olympic events, was accompanied by Mozambique’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Oldemiro Baloi, and its High Commissioner to the UK, Mr Carlos dos Santos.

Research links between Imperial and Mozambique include Professor Jonathan Weber’s research on HIV prevention and support given to help tackle the parasitic disease Schistosomiasis by the College’s Schishtosomiasis Control Initiative led by Professor Alan Fenwick from the School of Public Health.

The President was brought up-to-date on Imperial’s research with a tour of the laboratory facilities in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, led by Professor Jan Cilliers, the Head of Department. Professor Weber and Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Head of the Department of Surgery and Cancer then accompanied the President on a tour of the Department of Surgery and Cancer’s laboratories in the Sir Alexander Fleming Building.

During the tour Professor Nicholson outlined the Department’s research strategy and highlighted innovations in surgical technology such as the intelligent knife, which analyses smoke from cauterising tissue to investigate whether the tissue is healthy, cancerous or infected. Professor Elaine Holmes then gave a presentation on research work on parasitology and hepatitis in Ivory Coast and the Gambia.

The visit concluded with a lunch meeting with the President & Rector Sir Keith O'Nions.