Imperial students will receive their degrees in front of 6,000 friends, family and supporters, over three ceremonies in the Royal Albert Hall today.

Today's event, the largest in the College's history will see 2,700 new graduates join an international network of 170,000 alumni, supported by more than 50 alumni associations worldwide.

Hailing the impact of the record number of postgraduates, President & Rector Sir Keith O’Nions said:

“Each of you has been at the frontier of your subject. You have pushed, tested and in many cases moved the boundaries of knowledge and achieved a new level of understanding. The full impact of your achievements and success will unfold down the years as your careers develop further.”

Hoi Yuet Li, from Imperial College Business School, said: “Today has been a really busy day but a great experience – especially graduating in the beautiful setting of the Albert Hall. I have a few job offers already back home in China but I’m going to take a short break before I decide upon what I am going to do next!”

Athanasios Chatzopoulos, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: “The best thing about Imperial is its community – I’ve really enjoyed working alongside my fellow PhD students and getting the opportunity to meet people from such diverse backgrounds. Even though my PhD was challenging, there was always someone around to offer support and guidance.”

Man Yan Cheung, from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said: “I come from Hong Kong where I work as a Civil Engineer, and my employer sent me to Imperial to do my MSc in Environmental Engineering. I have some fantastic memories of Imperial to take back home with me, such as having lunch on the Queen’s Lawn in the sunshine - even with the unreliable British weather.”

Alice Rawcliffe, from Imperial College Business School, said: “I’ve had a fantastic time studying at Imperial over the last two years, and I’ve had some really exciting and eye-opening experiences. A highlight was working with students from the Royal College of Art on the Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Design Projects Programme – and winning a prize for best project. It was great to have the opportunity to learn from the perspectives of those from a different academic background.”