Imperial College London is a public research university in the United
Kingdom. It was founded by Prince Albert who envisioned an area composed of the
Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Albert Hall and the
Imperial Institute. The Imperial Institute was opened by his wife, Queen
Victoria, who laid its first stone. In 1907, Imperial College London was formed
by Royal Charter, and soon joined the University of London, with focus on
science and technology. The college has expanded its coursework to medicine
through mergers with St Mary's Hospital Medical School. In 2004, Queen
Elizabeth II opened the Imperial College Business School. Imperial became an
independent university from the University of London during its centennial.
Imperial is organized into faculties of science, engineering, medicine and
business. Its main campus is located in South Kensington, adjacent to Hyde Park
and Kensington Gardens in central London. The university formed the first academic
health science centre in the United Kingdom. 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 included among the best universities in the world by a number
of university rankings. According to The New York Times, recruiters consider
its students among the 10 most valued graduates in the world. 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.
