Imperial wins University Challenge for historic fifth time

Imperial's University Challenge team for 2024 with host Amol Rajan.

Imperial College London has won University Challenge for the fifth time – making it the TV quiz tournament’s most successful team of all time.

The Imperial student team – comprising captain Suraiya Haddad, Sourajit Debnath, Adam Jones, and Justin Lee (supported by reserve Mattia Elkouby) – defeated University College London by 165 points in a thrilling final on BBC Two tonight (Monday 8 April 2024).

Imperial is now the most successful team in University Challenge history, with tonight’s triumph following wins in 1996, 2001, 2020 and 2022.

“I’m really proud of our winning team. Their breadth of knowledge well beyond science is truly impressive, and their disciplined approach to the quiz has made history for Imperial as University Challenge’s most successful team.” Professor Ian Walmsley Provost of Imperial College London

The team's success was marked with an event at Imperial’s South Kensington Campus with host Amol Rajan and acclaimed playwright Sir Tom Stoppard.

Imperial’s Provost Professor Ian Walmsley said: “Imperial's diverse international community is used to finding the answers to really tough questions, whether that’s in the lab or on University Challenge.

“I’m really proud of our winning team. Their breadth of knowledge well beyond science is truly impressive, and their disciplined approach to the quiz has made history for Imperial as University Challenge’s most successful team.”

In preparation for University Challenge, the team spent months revising their specialist subjects and practising quizzes as a close-knit group.

Imperial's University Challenge team receiving the 2024 trophy with Amol Rajan and playwright Sir Tom Stoppard. — Imperial's University Challenge team celebrated their success with host Amol Rajan and playwright Sir Tom Stoppard.

Team Captain Suraiya Haddad said: “I’m thrilled to have captained Imperial College London to its fifth historic win, making us the institution with the most wins in the history of the programme. We have all worked incredibly hard and done Imperial proud.

“All of us were balancing our degrees with our exams, in my case my finals. We were up against fantastic opposition with UCL who played brilliantly throughout the series.

“The level of support we have received from the Imperial community and beyond has been amazing, thank you to everyone who has been cheering us on!”

Imperial’s team has excelled this year in rounds on a diverse range of topics, including classical sculpture, European history, Korean mythology and mathematics.

“The level of support we have received from the Imperial community and beyond has been amazing, thank you to everyone who has been cheering us on!” Suraiya Haddad Imperial Team Captain for University Challenge 2024

To reach this year’s final, the team beat Trinity College, Cambridge in the semi-finals and overcame other teams including the University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield.

This year’s success is built in part on the expertise of previous teams, as representatives from past seasons take part in Imperial's mentoring programme for the competition. Contestants are selected by a University Challenge committee made up of previous contestants, who then coach the team on how to revise for different topics and maximise their ability to answer questions quickly.

This year’s Imperial team is made up of: