westminster.ac.uk SHAPING THE FUTURE OF PROFESSIONAL LIFE
A charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 977818. Registered office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW 6466/10.13/KR/BP 309 Regent Street in 1909 and now (opposite) FOREWORD INTRODUCTION
The University of Westminster’s 175th The University’s central London More than anything, this book This year marks a special milestone In the intervening years our This brochure highlights the strength anniversary is a significant milestone. location has played its part, giving underlines the continuing importance in the history of the University of institution has advanced and of the relationships between our The history of the Royal Institute of students access to outstanding that the University of Westminster Westminster, as we celebrate the expanded – significantly under the institution and the professional bodies British Architects – RIBA – spans a resources, to powerful professional places on building strong partnerships 175th anniversary of the opening leadership of Quintin Hogg (1881– in London, across the UK and very similar timescale; we celebrated networks, and fantastic career with professional practice, to help of The Polytechnic Institution, the 1903) as the Regent Street Polytechnic, internationally. Those relationships, our 175th anniversary in 2009, and opportunities upon graduation. achieve its mission of ‘building the forerunner of our University, at then as the Polytechnic of Central born in the eras of Cayley and Hogg, since the opening of the School of But Westminster’s reach goes far next generation of highly employable 309 Regent Street. The Institution London (formed in 1970) and, were clearly nurtured throughout the Architecture at the Regent Street beyond the country’s capital. The citizens to shape the future’. was launched by the scientist and since 1992, as the University of 20th century, as highlighted, for Polytechnic in 1891 our two University’s students are drawn from I look forward to RIBA engineer Sir George Cayley, Westminster. Throughout that period example, by the Central Office of organisations have enjoyed a long more than 150 countries as well as continuing to work closely with the who is internationally recognised of evolution, our commitment to Information’s 1949 exhibition, and fruitful professional relationship. those from here in the UK, and they University of Westminster in the future, as the founder of the science of Sir George’s original principles of Working Man’s University. Now The need for higher education to use the learning and knowledge and congratulate you on your aerodynamics. His vision was to education and innovation to improve we are advancing ambitious plans have a professional relevance, and acquired here to build careers and achievements of the past 175 years. create an educational institution people’s lives has remained strong. to further develop those relationships for students to be able to engage improve lives nationally and that would stimulate innovation among Today, 175 years on, the University as the need for professional with industry and professional internationally. The various case Stephen R Hodder MBE the new generation of ‘professional of Westminster continues to seek to relevance in higher education practice, has never been greater studies in this publication, featuring President scientists’ and demonstrate how those inspire innovation and creative becomes ever greater. – not just in architecture, but across students from around the world RIBA innovations could change people’s thinking through our close interaction I hope you enjoy learning more most disciplines. Whether at – both in 1949 and today – show lives. His institution rapidly gained with practice and the professions, about the University of Westminster undergraduate, postgraduate or that this has long been the case. prowess and became a well-known our interdisciplinarity, and our and I hope you will join us in professional development level, London landmark; changing its international engagement. Our celebrating our 175-year history acquiring the skills and knowledge name to the Royal Polytechnic current mission – to shape the of educating for professional life. needed to gain a qualification and Institution in 1841 when Prince future of professional life – reflects build a career now means a Albert became patron. our continuing focus on providing Geoffrey Petts significant investment of time and an education for our students that is Vice Chancellor money. The University of Westminster’s professionally relevant, and pushing University of Westminster heritage, showcased in this brochure, professional boundaries through our reveals that it has long understood that research and entrepreneurship. need, and has worked with professional bodies to meet it. Evolution of educating for professional life
This year we celebrate the University close relationships with industry, the disabled soldiers returning from the of Westminster’s 175th anniversary, professions and practice. First World War, or that both Regent and our rich heritage and proud Sir George Cayley was determined Street and its successor, PCL, were at tradition of providing academic to stimulate innovation among the forefront of developing excellence, cultural engagement ‘professional scientists’ and to professionally relevant courses and personal enrichment includes demonstrate to the public how the in a range of areas, including many milestones along the way. advances in science and invention business and management, The development of the modern had practical applications which computing and electronics. University can be traced from the could improve lives. The historical timeline charting the founding of the Polytechnic Institution Quintin Hogg’s reputation was University of Westminster’s evolution by Sir George Cayley in 1838, that of a philanthropist who focused underlines the fact that many of the to the opening of Quintin Hogg’s on providing social, sporting and milestones in our history are linked to Young Men’s Christian Institute at educational opportunities for young education which provides professional 309 Regent Street (soon known working men; but he was also progression and development. as the Regent Street Polytechnic) in acutely aware of the importance One date that does not feature 1882, the creation of the Polytechnic of professional training to support large in the Westminster timeline is of Central London (PCL) in 1970, London’s rapidly expanding 1949; yet it was in this year that and the move to university status economy. Day and evening classes the government’s Central Office of in 1992. which prepared young people to enter Information (COI) organised an Alongside the ethos of offering a profession, or developed the skills exhibition to celebrate the success education for all, regardless of and knowledge of those looking to of the Regent Street Polytechnic in background or financial status, a progress in their chosen career, delivering “the ‘know-how’ that consistent thread running throughout were a hallmark of the Regent Street modern industry and commerce insists our institution’s evolution is the Polytechnic from its earliest days. of its workers”. Titled Working Man’s commitment to providing teaching It was also no surprise that the University: The First Polytechnic, the and learning which is professionally Regent Street Polytechnic took the COI’s exhibition focused on those relevant, supported by strong ties and lead in retraining large numbers of studying at Regent Street to further
Title board for the 1949 COI exhibition their careers; from catering classes Throughout this 175 anniversary our courses keep up to date with and tailoring to architecture, brochure, we have included pictures professional developments, and engineering, photography and and profiles from Working Man’s can offer placements and internships physics, it shows the Regent Street University, alongside similar profiles with the leaders in every sector. Polytechnic doing what it did best from students of today. While the Our research is helping to push – educating for professional life. institution may have changed in the the boundaries of professional The provision of that education was intervening years, it’s clear that the development, and our consultancy part of the Polytechnic’s daily routine, commitment to professionally relevant work and knowledge transfer but the important role the institution education remains. partnerships are enabling businesses was playing in public life should not Today, the relationship between the from the UK and around the be underestimated. This was post-war University of Westminster and our world to stay ahead of the field. Britain; much of London and other professional partners is as strong All of these activities and cities around the country had been as ever. Our undergraduate and relationships are part of the University destroyed by bombing, rationing was postgraduate courses are recognised of Westminster’s vision to build the still in place, and recovery from the and accredited by many of the next generation of highly employable turmoil of the Second World War was leading professional bodies, from global citizens who will shape a slow process. Yet the Regent Street the Association of Chartered Certified the future. As we celebrate our Polytechnic offered opportunity, Accountants to the Royal Institute of 175th anniversary, we remain education and hope to working men Chartered Surveyors, and our dedicated to educating for and women from London, across the professional development and short professional life, to the original UK, and around the globe – those courses attract thousands of students pioneering aims of Sir George Cayley featured in the exhibition included to Westminster every year. We and Quintin Hogg, and look forward students from France, Nigeria, South work closely with businesses and to ever stronger relationships with Africa, Switzerland and Tanzania. professional practice to make sure our professional partners.
Current students working in the computer room of our Little Titchfield Street library, in front of an image of the Typewriting class in 1899 Architecture
Of all the disciplines studied at Over the coming years the In 1929 the School moved to Westminster, architecture has one Polytechnic played a key role in Little Titchfield Street, and in 1931 of the longest and strongest histories preparing students for professional the Diploma Final Examination in within the University, dating back to examinations, including those at the Architecture was recognised as the South Kensington Science and Art Institution of Surveyors (now the Royal qualification for registration as an Department classes (taught under the Institution of Chartered Surveyors), architect. With the creation of PCL auspices of the Board of Trade) first Royal Engineers, RIBA, the Board of in 1970 the College of Architecture offered at the Polytechnic in 1882. Education, City and Guilds and the and Advanced Building Technologies Classes in land surveying, brickwork, Schools of the Royal Academy. moved to Marylebone Road, home masonry and quantity surveying soon After the First World War the School of today’s Faculty of Architecture and followed, and by 1891 the School of taught an increasing variety of the Built Environment (FABE). The links Architecture had been established. architecture classes, as well as more with the profession at undergraduate craft-based subjects such as carpentry, and Master’s level are as strong as at both evening and daytime classes. ever, and in 2009 Westminster was The links to professional bodies were also selected by UN-Habitat as its strengthened through diploma courses first partner university in the UK. that exempted students from RIBA With more than 2,000 students FABE examination and associateship. is one of the largest providers of built environment education in the UK, and was recently ranked second in the country by Architects’ Journal. One of the most important Over the last decade the schools at the Polytechnic achievements of our is for Architecture, architecture and interiors Surveying and Building. students have been The Headmaster, John S repeatedly recognised by Walkden (FRIBA, Dist.TP, a wide range of external MTPI, FRIAS) interviews all awards, including the students before acceptance, prestigious RIBA President’s and here he is talking to Silver Medal and 19-year-old Peter Adams, Dissertation Medal, whose father is President LIFELINES competition and of the Town-Planning Archiprix. Simhika Rao is Institute in Britain. His uncle the latest to secure such holds a corresponding high-profile success, having position in the United States been nominated for the of America, and his RIBA President’s Medal grandfather was Founder- Award for Dissertation, Member of the Institute. The which was her dream when model in front of the desk is she started at Westminster. a proposed concert hall for Simhika completed her the Regent’s Park site, built Masters in Architecture by Walter Greaves, an (MArch) in June 2013, ex-student of the school. and has already gained work experience at architecture firm Grimshaw, where she was involved in the development of an arts and cultural centre in Bangor and the HS2 rail network. She is discussing her dissertation with her tutor and MArch Course Leader, William Firebrace. Applied Business
When Quintin Hogg opened the After the Polytechnic merged with Our work in business development, Polytechnic at 309 Regent Street in Holborn College of Law, Languages knowledge transfer and consultancy 1882, alongside his philanthropic and Commerce in 1970, the newly continues to grow, and we are proud aim of providing social, sporting and created Faculty of Management ran to hold a large number of international educational opportunities for young the UK’s only MA in Management and professional accreditations from men in London, he recognised the Studies, and our first MBA course bodies such as the Association of need for business and professional was established in 1983. MBAs, Chartered Institute of Personnel training to support the city’s A further merger in 1990 with and Development, ACCA and the expanding economy. The School of Harrow College created two business Chartered Institute of Marketing. Commerce taught classes in schools within the University – one advertising and statistics, book- at Harrow, the other at Marylebone keeping, and shorthand, and – which were combined in 2009 to prepared students for the Civil Service form the current Westminster Business exam. The launch of the Department School, one of the largest in the of Industrial Administration in 1924 country. Today our 4,000 saw the introduction of a pioneering undergraduate and postgraduate course that led to the foundation of students are all based at our recently a Diploma in Management. After refurbished Marylebone Campus, the Second World War a National complete with cutting-edge resources Diploma in Management Studies and a high-tech study environment. was set up and awarded jointly by the Ministry of Education and the British Institute of Management (today the Chartered Management Institute), and from 1959 the School of Commerce was also offering an HND in Business Studies. At the Department of Howard Collins joined the Mathematics and Physics at two-year training scheme at the Polytechnic, Mr Charles London Underground after Key is studying to take his leaving school with A Levels BSc General Examination at 18. He worked his way next year. Mr Key is a through every operational director of a surgical job including station staff, appliance manufacturer. driver and signaller, but As a business man he is a found it a challenge to firm believer in knowing all progress to the next level, about his product before facing competition from trying to sell it. Now that university graduates. the firm has decided to Howard wanted to do a manufacture scientific practical course where he instruments as well as could put his learning into surgical instruments, practice straightaway, so 42-year-old Charles Key he studied for his MBA spends his evenings at Westminster part-time. studying Physics. He wrote his thesis on the impacts of the closure of the East London Line, a project he was involved in at the time. The MBA certainly helped Howard progress his career – he was Chief Operating Officer at London Underground until 2013, and has now taken over as the new CEO of Sydney Trains in Australia. Fashion
Now regularly ranked among the From 1888 the Polytechnic also In 1990 Harrow College world’s top fashion schools, the offered a series of classes aimed at of Higher Education merged University of Westminster’s fashion young women including dressmaking with the Polytechnic. Today, the teaching has two parallel but distinct and millinery, which continued to be renowned Department of Fashion histories, originating from both the offered in the School of Domestic at the University’s Harrow Campus Polytechnic and Harrow College. Science until 1963. offers students pioneering courses in The first cutting (tailors) classes By contrast, Harrow College design, merchandising, buying and began when the Polytechnic moved to of Higher Education provided business. It also provides professional 309 Regent Street in 1882, taught in dressmaking classes (for girls only) development for prominent retailers the evenings by Dr Thomas Darwin from 1889 onwards. Aged 14 to 20, including Harrods, Tesco and Humphreys – a staunch advocate of students served an apprenticeship for New Look. teaching anatomy to tailoring students. several years, where they qualified to By the time of the First World War the earn a wage only ‘once they had School of Art was running classes in acquired the knowledge of cutting-out’. fashion drawing and designing, and While most fashion courses at the there was also a Day School of Polytechnic were transferred to local Tailoring for boys rather than adults, colleges during the 1950s and 60s, with youngsters from the course later Harrow College’s School of Art apprenticed to Master Tailors across continued to expand and thrive. the city. In 1929 the tailoring classes During the 1970s and 80s fashion formed part of the newly created Craft students were regularly winning School at Little Titchfield Street. international prizes, and David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed Princess Diana’s wedding dress, both studied fashion at Harrow. At his home in Sidcup, Lidia Janus lives in London Kent, Peter West spends and her style is strongly all his spare time tailoring. influenced by the city’s Peter, 38, was a big-gun cosmopolitan and vibrant maker for ten years at environment. She is Woolwich Arsenal. During currently doing her BA that time his hobby was Honours in Fashion making suits both for himself Design at the University and his wife. Now he has of Westminster and has turned to this as a career, already worked with and the Polytechnic School some of the biggest names of Tailoring will give him the in the industry. She currently opportunity of qualifying. has a full-time internship During the day he works placement with Alexander for a tailoring firm, and in McQueen, and has the evenings he is studying previously worked for at the Polytechnic. Now he Claire Barrow, hand has orders from outside, a painting flowers on leather sheaf of which are hanging jackets for her exclusive on the wall on the left. range that was sold in Joseph, and worn by Rihanna. She has also worked with Ashley Williams on her debut collection which was worn by Rita Ora, Pixie Geldof and Alice Dellal. Languages
Languages have been taught at Prior to the First World War the Today, the Department of Modern 309 Regent Street (the University teaching of languages was part of the Languages and Cultures provides of Westminster’s headquarters) since growing range of commercial subjects students with a flexible and exciting 1861, when the site was used by the at the Polytechnic. Qualifications range of opportunities to study City of London College to run classes included the Polytechnic’s own European and non-European in French, German, Latin, Italian and diplomas, as well as those examined languages, cultures and societies. Spanish. The Royal Polytechnic by the Royal Society of Arts at the In addition, the Westminster Institution started offering language London Chamber of Commerce. Professional Language Centre evening classes in 1872, and by the The range of language-related (WPLC) offers professional language time Quintin Hogg’s Polytechnic courses was strengthened through the training, including examinations of Institute moved into the Regent Street merger with Holborn College of Law, the Ministry of Defence Language building it was providing education Languages and Commerce in 1970 Board, a range of teacher in those same five languages, as well to form the Polytechnic of Central development courses and bespoke as Hindustani and Greek. London; Holborn had particular language units to external clients. By 1888, the French course in experience in interpreting, and a particular had expanded to include history of language teaching that also a debating society, study holidays in went back to the late 19th century. France and a lecture series. Other language courses also had their own ‘literary societies’, linking up with Quintin Hogg’s holistic vision of education to include more than simply academic learning. Most teachers and lecturers of these classes appear to have been native speakers. A young French girl, Julia Buckingham has Simone Alexaneryne, tries just completed her MA in to make herself understood Technical and Specialised at the Linguist Club meeting Translation at the University at the Polytechnic. English, of Westminster. After French, German, Italian, finishing her undergraduate Swedish, Russian, Polish, degree in French and Norwegian and Dutch are Spanish at Oxford, Julia all taught at the School found that she needed of Modern Languages for a Master’s degree to be £1 a session (September successful as a professional to May) for each subject. translator. The course Simone is 20 years old. at Westminster was She came to England to recommended to her as one learn the language and of the best in the country. teaches French to children Julia really enjoyed the at the Notre Dame de practical focus of the MA France School in and the variety of talks Leicester Square. and industry links offered during the course. She was selected for a one-month internship with the UN in Vienna earlier this summer and has now been offered a full-time job at APT Transtelex in Putney – one of the leading translation companies in Europe. Law
The origins of the School of Law go From the beginning, the School Today, Westminster Law School back to the Kennington College of of Law recognised the important is one of London’s leading providers Commerce and Law, an evening role that part-time studies play in of legal education, and a pioneer institute founded before the First World the service to the community, and of innovative courses; our Solicitor’s War, specialising in legal studies. particularly in offering opportunities Exempting degree is the only course Between 1958 and 1970, the College for those in employment. The School of its kind in London and the South went through several mergers, offered a full-time LLB University of East, and one of only four in the becoming the Holborn College of Law, London (external) degree together with country. We have an international Language and Commerce before a range of part-time day and evening reputation for research into the legal eventually amalgamating with the courses for professional law exams profession and legal practice, Regent Street Polytechnic to form the including the Bar (Final), the Law international law and human rights, Polytechnic of Central London (PCL). Society’s Qualifying Examinations for and commercial and financial law. Solicitors and the exams of the Institute Our strong links with the professions of Legal Executives. directly benefit our students through The School also devoted resources work placement opportunities at major to other aspects of the part-time study legal firms and blue chip companies. of law, such as the organisation of ‘sandwich’ courses, short courses and seminars on specific topics. In September 1985 the School introduced a new part-time day CNAA LLB course – the first in inner London. PCL’s law courses continued to be taught at the Holborn College building in Red Lion Square until 1995, when the School of Law moved to its current home in Little Titchfield Street. Although the School of Jifree Cader grew up in Law did not exist at the Streatham, south London Polytechnic in 1949, and completed his Law disciplines that were part LLB at the University of of the traditional legal Westminster in 2005. education were certainly His course included 100 pracitised. Here is Pirthipal hours of work experience Singh Hunja, an Indian during his second year, from Tanzania (then which he says gave him Tanganyika), East a real advantage in the Africa, studying for his employment market when Matriculation Examination. he applied for vacation His parents went to Africa schemes and training from the Punjab during the contracts. During his First World War. The training contract, Jifree Matriculation Department worked through the credit had its own Debating crunch and subsequent Society at the time – recession and, as a result, similar to the negotiating legal advice for insolvency competitions that are and restructuring was now a key extra-curricular in high demand. This is component at the School now his specialist area as of Law – with a regular an Associate at Kirkland attendance of many and Ellis LLP. Jifree took students and members an active part in the of the staff of other extra-curricular activities departments. on offer at the School of Law, including the client interviewing, negotiation and mooting competitions. These proved invaluable talking points at his training contract interviews and were a good introduction to the tough questions he faces as a lawyer now. Photography
Photography has occupied a The School expanded quickly, Dr Margaret Harker, a former unique place in the history of the and in the early 1900s it carried student at the school, was appointed University from the earliest days out a great deal of research and Head of the School of Photography of the Polytechnic Institution, and consultation work. It helped Scotland in 1959 (she was also the first female like fashion, the subject has a unique Yard to establish a photographic President of the Royal Photographic history at both the Polytechnic and department, designed an X-Ray Society). Dr Harker was instrumental Harrow. Louis Daguerre and Henry department for Guy’s Hospital, and in achieving BSc Honours status for Fox Talbot both announced separate was commissioned to report on the the School’s photography course processes for capturing an image in possibilities of forging bank notes. – the first photography degree to January 1839, just six months after The School was also at the forefront be offered in the UK. the opening of the Polytechnic, and by of developments in colour Photography classes were also the October of that year lectures were photography. It was in regular contact taught at Harrow from the early taking place three times a week at the with the Lumière brothers, who 1900s, following the opening of the Polytechnic to explain the photographic famously demonstrated cinema at the Eastman Photographic Company processes. In 1841 Talbot granted the Polytechnic in 1896. Students of the (Kodak) nearby. Today, the Polytechnic a licence to demonstrate School held annual exhibitions from Department of Photography and Film his new calotype process; the same 1922 and could become student sits within the Faculty of Media, Arts year the first photographic studio in members of the Professional and Design at our Harrow Campus. Europe was opened on the roof of Photographers Association The Faculty, with around 4,000 309 Regent Street by Richard Beard. (now the British Institute of students, offers one of the most varied Classes in photography were Professional Photography). portfolios in Europe and has a strong taught from 1852, and the School reputation for professional and of Photography was established practice-based education. in 1883. The Polytechnic School Aida Silvestri grew up in of Photography is Eritrea during the cold war, recognised and approved with a wish to document by the Institute of British the highs and lows of life Photographers. In the during a time of conflict evenings there are courses and crisis. Now living in in General Technique, London, Aida decided to Commercial Photography, fulfil her dream and study Portraiture and Kinema for a BA in Photography [cinema] Laboratory at the University of Practice. Demonstrating Westminster. Aida on a model, the instructor particularly benefited from is pointing out a lighting the professional features technique to George module, which allowed her Douglas Elliott, a South to get hands-on freelance African who came to work as a professional England to take up photographer. She has commercial photography. just completed her final He married a London girl year project, documenting during the war when he the journeys of Eritrean was serving with the refugees in the UK. Her Royal Navy. work has been featured in the British Journal of Photography and exhibited at the Free Range Gallery in Brick Lane. She is now preparing for her first solo exhibition in early 2014. Life Sciences
Courses in human physiology were The Department of Life Sciences Today, the Faculty of Science and taught at the Regent Street Polytechnic was established in 1970, enabling Technology offers both mainstream as early as 1893, and the Department students to study for the external and specialist undergraduate and of Chemistry and Biology was created Science BSc degree specialising postgraduate courses in biosciences in 1936, offering training to future in Life Sciences, with modules in and biomedical sciences, chemists. The Department had both subjects such as biochemistry, botany, complementary medicine, nutrition, day and evening classes allowing chemistry, physiology, psychology and psychology at our recently students to work for the BSc (a and zoology. The Department also refurbished Cavendish Campus. University of London external degree), offered part-time revision courses in As well as our thriving research national certificates and pre-medical many of these subjects, and a PCL culture we provide professional classes. The Associate of the Institute Certificate in Microbiology. development courses for biomedical, of Chemistry (AIC) award was also By the mid-1970s short courses clinical and research scientists, for offered, and by 1966 students could for teachers, sixth-form students clinicians and clinical governance obtain graduateship of the Royal and research workers were offered, facilitators, and for health and social Institute of Chemistry (now the Royal covering a wide range of subjects. care professionals. The Polyclinic is Society of Chemistry). The courses included an Introduction our specialist teaching and research to Animal Behaviour; Selected Aspects clinic and offers its services to of Insect Physiology and Ecology II; students, staff and the general public. Soil Biology; Recent Advances in Cell Biology; and Energy in Biological Systems. In the Department of Mary Kennedy, Chemistry and Biology Hannah Bligh and Jonathan at the Polytechnic, Eric Sookunah have all studied Buchwald (facing camera) at the University of is in his fifth year. He is Westminster. They work a part-time day student together in the pathology who works for Distillers department at the London Company who gave him Clinic on Harley Street. time off to attend courses, The Clinic sponsors pay his fees and his talented pathology staff railway fares. He is British for both undergraduate of German parents. The and postgraduate degree School provides students courses, and Westminster with courses in Chemistry, is their university of choice. Botany and Zoology up Jonathan is half way to BSc Special Degree through his Applied (External) standard. Biomedical Science Evening courses cost three BSc Honours degree at guineas per session for Westminster. Since starting degree courses. at the London Clinic, he has progressed from working as a theatre assistant to being a laboratory assistant and now has a supervisory role in the pre-analytical, sample handling area. Jonathan is looking forward to becoming a biomedical scientist specialising in microbiology when he graduates in two years’ time. Technology
‘Demonstrating the important The Polytechnic’s reputation as Today our electronics and principles upon which every science a scientific pioneer continued into computer science students explore the is based’ was Sir George Cayley’s the 20th century, although the focus fundamental principles, technologies founding principle for the Polytechnic switched more to education than and processes, and their application Institution when it first opened in exhibition. The first computer (an to the solution of practical problems. 1838. From diving bells and steam- IBM 1620) arrived at the Polytechnic Our courses provide comprehensive driven machinery to microscope in 1965 and specialist computing coverage of informatics and its shows and other scientific displays, staff were employed at the same time. application to engineering, business, the Polytechnic soon became the The Polytechnic of Central London and the creative industries. We are place where the latest technology was was the first of its kind to be granted evolving continuously with current showcased to an enthusiastic public. the right to award professorships, trends in industry, business and the In the 1860s, Dr Pepper demonstrated and between 1972 and 1976, the modern global economy to give our his giant induction coil to audiences first computing and engineering students a head-start in their careers. and became famous for his ‘ghost’ Professors Gerry Cain, Peter Morse illusion. And by attracting paying and Yakup Paker taught international visitors to learn more about the new short courses on mini- and micro- world of science, the Polytechnic computers in London and Florence. was also able to underwrite evening The Polytechnic stayed at the classes and lectures to willing students. forefront of technological innovation Our first known graduate, E R Groote, throughout the 1990s and beyond, studied Electrical Engineering and offering the first Master’s degree in completed his course in 1885 with a Decision Sciences in the UK – the first prize, silver medal and £3! forerunner of the Business Intelligence and Analytics MSc, another first, nearly 20 years later. Leonard White, Albert Reuben Berry completed Powell and Peter Liepmann his Masters in Engineering are all studying Electrical (MEng) at Westminster Engineering at the with Distinction, and has Polytechnic. They now been contracted by work together as lighting the University to lead on engineers at Elec-Ensign the completion of the Electric Ltd, where their iNsight project. The four- departmental head is year research project, Frank Hulcoop, MIBE, carried out in partnership who took his diploma with three other universities at the Polytechnic before and nine industry partners, the war. All three are is developing the next working for their Higher generation of positioning National Certificate receiver systems, bringing awarded by the Institute together GPS, GLONASS, of Electrical Engineers Galileo and other signals in conjunction with the to provide more accurate Ministry of Education. and reliable data. The Leonard White, on the technology could eventually right, passed his City be used in mass market and Guilds Illuminating devices such as mobile Engineering examination phones and sat navs. last year. Reuben, who has designed some of the key elements of the system, is meeting with his colleagues Professor Izzet Kale and PHD student Isil Kalafat Kizilkaya to explain some changes he has made to a circuit board. The Regent Street library (which is now The Boardroom) in 1949, and current students enjoying the newly refurbished library at Little Titchfield Street (opposite).
Photo credits: Lorum ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate Many thanks to all the alumni, students and staff who helped to produce this brochure. velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat Photo credits: p3 Marcus Tate, p4 Carol Sachs. Student and alumni portraits cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa by Joanne O’Brien. All historical images reproduced with the permission of the University of Westminster Archive.