The student ‘news’paper of Imperial College London Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year 2006, 2008 Issue 1,426 Friday 27 February 2009 felixonline.co.uk felix Inside Clubs and Socs - Behind closed What the opposite sex want, part 2 Thedoors reason for all the construction work explained for you, see page 3 Page 28 Film - Oscar special Pages 20-21 Fashion - London Fashion Week RAGIC RAG back on form, findweek out how they did on pagesuccess 4 Pages 26-27 Arts - This isn’t romance Page 14 2 felix Friday 27 February 2009 Friday 27 February 2009 felix 3 News [email protected] News News Editor – Kadhim Shubber and Dan Wan [email protected] Visa fee hike will deter Beit Redevelopment: valuable overseas students, Bill Gates gives £5 million Medics win yet another nail fear Vice-chancellors biting JPR Williams Cup to Imperial College The story so far Dan Wan Jovan Nedić News Editor Kadhim Shubber Editor in Chief Deputy Editor DDIMAN The Government’s plans to reorgan- MU Over the past few months, major ise the entry of overseas students is The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations E building work has been going on inside putting higher education into jeopardy, has given Imperial College London a Y JO the Union building as part of the Phase vice-chancellors fear. Rising visa appli- B £5 million grant. The money will sup- O Two Redevelopment of Beit. Last cation costs are the latest development T port an initiative that is manufacturing O year, felix reported that the funding in a line of measures the Government inexpensive home tests for HIV in de- PH was eventually found for Phase Two have implemented to administrate the veloping countries. after the College agreed to give £1.93 considerable proportions of foreign The CD4 initiative was launched million towards the fund [Issue 1391 students at British Universities. with the aim of devising an easy to use – 11.01.08]. The Home Office’s fee for a student point-of-care test with a cost of around Even though the story was reported visa application has already increased $2. Currently three prototypes have over a year ago, students are still con- from £99 to £145. Further mandatory Diana Warwick, chief executive of been developed, one of which will be fused as to why parts of the Union costs that potential students must pay Universities UK mass produced in 2010. Building have been blocked off and to even apply at British universities are This is not the first time that the Bill even more worrying, they didn’t seem set to increase. Students applying for & Melinda Gates Foundations have to know how the Union was going to Visas extensions by post in 2009-2010 abroad commenced an UK degree supported the CD4 initiative. A 2005 change once the construction was will now cost each individual £357, £63 programme for the 2008 intake. These grant of almost £6 million supported finished. more than the current fee. In-person numbers include undergraduate and the first three years of the initiative. At the moment, most of the work that applications will incur a £65 increase postgraduate courses. Warwick argues The latest grant will go towards trials is going on in the Union is for the crea- to £565. these “international students contrib- of the device in developed and devel- tion of a mezzanine level on the second Vice-chancellors are worried whilst ute far more to the UK academically, oping countries as well as funding ini- floor where the new Student Activity the fee increases are not massive, they culturally and financially than they use tial production runs. Centre [SAC] will be stationed, which will be combined with several new in terms of public resources.” Measuring a patients CD4+ T-cells si why parts of Db’s and DaVinci’s have measures to ensure the governance Imperial College would be severely is a critical part of the HIV treatment been blocked to allow room for risers. of overseas students. This in turn will affected if the detriments of these process. Healthcare workers rely on a Below the SAC the main cluster of of- The mezzanine floor that will house the new and improved Student deter the most talented students from measures started to become evident, CD4 count to make decisions about fices will be located, where all the Sab- Activity Centre, with the Union Offices just below enrolling at UK universities, many who with 34.9% of its student body inter- antiretroviral therapy. Many patients One of the richest men in the world, Bill Gates, has donated money to baticals and Union staff will be work- are also courted by American, Austral- national students. Imperial, a univer- in developing countries do not have Imperial on a number of occasions ing. They layout for the Union offices ian and European universities. sity that prides itself on its diversity access to CD4 testing because of cost is still unsure, however the latest plans hand the programme indicated com- ling of the ground floor, which will Diana Warwick, chief executive of amongst its student body, will not only and the fact that specially trained op- show that they will be open plan apart pletion in mid June 2009. That was include the expansion of Da Vinci’s Universities UK, an umbrella group be harmed academically and socially, erators are needed. The new test will until you’re sick to start treatment, you others, it may already be too late.” from the Union President and the delayed by 6 weeks as electrical issues kitchen to connect with DB’s servery, for UK vice-chancellors said: “The in- but also financially. Each international not involve electronis or mechanical have a much poorer outcome than if The Bill & Melinda Gates Founda- General Manager who will have their came to light; identifying, tracing and which will mean that hot food can be crease in fees will come at the same student can pay up to £35,500 per aca- parts, it will tell patients within min- you start based on CD4 count. Our tion has also made contributions to office. terminating old circuits. However, the served on both sides. Other work will time as a number of other changes in demic year for their education at Im- utes if antiretroviral treatment should new test will have a huge positive im- Imperial in other areas. In 2005 a The work for Phase Two was sup- programme has now been extended to include refurbishment Da Vinci’s and the UK’s immigration system and the perial College. be started. pact for people living with HIV across grant of £15 million was given to Im- Wednesday’s JPR Williams Cup was yet another nail biting and posed to be finished by January 2009 include the extra work, fitting out the Union Bar, including cellar modifica- UK government is in serious danger of A similar impact is expected to be “There has been a lot of progress the world.” perial from the Grand Challenges in close encounter between the Imperial Medicals and Imperial according to last years article, but as 2nd floor West as new Union offices, tion, as well as a redesign of Db’s. As sending out a message that it does not seen on other Russell Group univer- increasing access to life-saving HIV Dr Steven Reid, the project manager Global Health Initiative programme College. With both teams in the South Premiership B and both can plainly be seen, the contractors are which was not included in the origi- far as felix is aware, the redesign will welcome international students.” sities. However, the 1994 Group is drugs in the developing world, but the for the CD4 Initiative at Imperial Col- of research sponsored by the Bill and teams struggling in that league, the stage was set for a hard still in the Union working away. Peter nal Phase 2 programme but has been see the stage moved to the back of the Last August saw the announcement understandably concerned also. Paul lack of access to essential diagnostic lege London, added that the reduced Melinda Gates Foundation. The money fought battle. The crowd were certainly not disappointed. Imperial Haldane, General Manager for Impe- made possible by Phase 2 coming in room, creating a bigger open space that Universities and colleges will be Marshall, executive director, said: tests like a CD4 test is a major barrier time waiting for a result was a great was divided between the development College were dominant for most of the game, but their inability rial College Union, told felix that “You under budget. The contractor expects and a better, concentrated focus on the required to “sponsor” students that are “International student recruitment is to providing the best possible care,” step forward: “In resource-poor rural of drugs for the treatment of latent TB to convert penalties to points cost them the match with the amaze me, I’d like to see what it is you to have all aspects of Phase 2 complet- stage for different acts. applying. These institutions first must so delicate that something as small as said Dr Hans-Georg Batz, Director of areas, patients sometimes have to walk and the development of genetic strate- game finishing at 7-7 at the end of regular time. In extra time, base that on.” ed by mid September 2009.” Hopefully the new and improved be licensed by the UKBA. Effectively, changing the price of the visa applica- the CD4 Initiative from the Division of miles to get to a clinic.