Across the pond

Imperial College is in the news for the second time this week, because of the brutal murder of two French exchange students who were studying there, but living in the more affordable area of New Cross. Imperial College sits next to the Albert Hall in one of London’s highest rent areas. The students, including the post-graduate researchers, have to find their digs elsewhere.

This is not the fault of Imperial College.

But their decision to stop Majid Ahmed from studying there to gain his medical degree is totally their responsibility. Ahmed won a place on merit, but later on he wrote and told them that he had a criminal conviction. He had served his time and repented. He wanted to make amends by devoting his life to healing the sick.

Imperial interviewed him and decided that, although he would be quite acceptable to study any other subject, he was not suitable for a medical degree, because of the ethical standards which doctors must abide by in caring for the vulnerable.

In blunt terms Imperial College rejected the penitent sinner. They don’t seem to be aware of the several doctors, who have been un-penitent sinners. Shipman is one name that comes to mind.

Imperial College is one of the most elitist of British educational institutions. They were part of the old London University, so they had the luxury of teaching only science subjects. They did not have to confront the paradoxes and uncertainties of the arts and the social sciences. Because their students could take other courses at London University, which knew about such things.

Imperial College prospered. And it spawned some of the finest scientists and engineers this country has produced.

But today, it is a very inadequate university in its own right. It does not have the range of Arts subjects, which have give science students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of other parts of human achievement.

The new rector, Sir Roy Anderson, has come to Imperial after being the chief scientific adviser for the British Ministry of Defence. Before that he was a distinguished medical man and an expert on infectious diseases. But from 2004 he was working for the Tony Blair government which went into the war with Iraq, etc, etc.

I hope that he will reconsider the Imperial decision to reject Majid Ahmed. Elitist institutions like Imperial can give enormous help to people like Ahmed, who, on
his own account, got in with a gang of near criminals. He now wants to help other people.

That surely, Sir Roy, is what education should be about. Helping those who do not have priviledged parents, to make a decent fist of their lives.