Imperial College London

Imperial College London, legally the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, is a public research university in London. Imperial grew out of Prince Albert's vision for an area of culture, including the Royal Albert Hall, Victoria & Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, and several Royal Colleges. In 1907, Imperial College was established by royal charter, unifying the Royal College of Science, Royal School of Mines, and City and Guilds of London Institute. In 1988, the Imperial College School of Medicine was formed by merging with St Mary's Hospital Medical School. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Imperial College Business School. Imperial focuses exclusively on science, technology, medicine, and business. Imperial is known for an emphasis across subjects on innovation and entrepreneurship. The main campus is located in South Kensington, and there is a second major innovation campus in White City. Facilities also include teaching hospitals throughout London, and a research field station at Silwood Park. The college was formerly a member of the University of London, becoming independent on its centenary. The college is a major centre for medical teaching and research and together with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust forms an academic health science centre. Imperial has a highly international community with 59% of students from outside the UK, and 140 countries represented on campus.