Imperial College London has an impressive list of alumni, contributing names to a wide range of fields. ORA certainly believe that it makes an inspiring and nourishing environment for our 16-18 students. We hope that our current cohort may be inspired by some of these names and what they’ve gone on to achieve.

In the world of politics, there are many names whose political journeys began with study at Imperial, both in the UK and around the globe. These include Prime Ministers, Governors and MPs, from Newcastle to New Zealand. One such name is that of Rajiv Gandhi, India’s youngest ever Prime Minister.

Gandhi is credited with laying the foundations for India to move into the technological age, hardly a surprise given that Imperial is known for championing the wider impact of technology. The students on our Global Leadership programme need look no further for inspiration, as perhaps they too may one day lead a nation into a new era.

As mentioned, Imperial likes to place an emphasis on technology – which is why it has produced so many high-ranking scientists and engineers. Some of these skills, however, have been fused with keen entrepreneurial minds to lend expertise to the world of business. Michael Birch is one example of this, having gone on to co-found a number of successful ventures including the social media platform Bebo.

Keith Duckworth is another notable case, an Engineering graduate from Imperial who went on to co-found Cosworth, a racing engine company which achieved great success in Formula One. These examples shine a light on the integrity of Imperial as a learning environment, and will surely spur on the students on the Business and Enterprise programme here in London.

With names going into such diverse and exciting careers, in all walks of life, Imperial serves as a reminder to our students that their futures are very much open. They can do almost anything, and if ORA can help to unlock that potential then we certainly endeavour to do so.