Imperial College London

Imperial College London is a public research university in the United Kingdom.[5] Its royal patron and founder, Prince Albert, envisioned an area for public education composed of the Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall and the Imperial Institute.[6][7] The Imperial Institute was opened by his wife, Queen Victoria, who laid the first brick.[8] Continuing their parent's and grandparent's vision, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of York recently opened the Imperial College Business School.[9] The university has grown through mergers including with St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and the National Heart and Lung Institute. A former constituent college of the University of London, Imperial became independent during its centennial celebration.[10]

Imperial is organised into four faculties of science, engineering, medicine and business. The main campus is located in South Kensington. The university is a major biomedical research centre and formed the first academic health science centre in the United Kingdom.[11] Imperial is a member of the Russell Group, G5, Association of Commonwealth Universities, League of European Research Universities, and the "Golden Triangle" of British universities.

Imperial is consistently included among the top universities in the world.[12][13][14][15] According to The New York Times, recruiters consider its students among the 10 most valued graduates in the world.[16][17] Imperial faculty and alumni include 15 Nobel laureates, 2 Fields Medalists, 70 Fellows of the Royal Society, 82 Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering and 78 Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences.[18]