By educating some of the world’s brightest students, fostering a climate where researchers and staff can thrive, and building deep and lasting ties with our community and partners, Imperial adds value and delivers public benefit on a local, national and global scale.
About public benefit
As an exempt charity under the laws of England and Wales, by virtue of the Exempt Charities Order 1962 and the Third Schedule to the Charities Act 2011, each of Imperial’s purposes must be for the public benefit.
The Office for Students regulates universities as charities on behalf of the Charity Commission. The Council, as the College’s Trustee, sets and reviews its objects and activities, with due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on the reporting of public benefit, particularly in relation to the advancement of education and fee charging.
Imperial’s objects, mission and strategy
When Imperial College London was established in 1907, its Royal Charter defined its objects, or guiding principles. These are to provide the highest specialised instruction and the most advanced training, education, research and scholarship in science, technology and medicine, especially in their application to industry; and in pursuit of these objects to act in co-operation with other bodies.
These objects continue to underpin the College’s mission, which is “to achieve enduring excellence in research and education in science, engineering, medicine and business for the benefit of society.”
The College’s Strategy 2015–2020 guides Imperial’s work towards achieving its mission. The foundations of the College’s work are defined as its specialisation in science, engineering, medicine and business; its world class core academic disciplines; its emphasis on multidisciplinary research; and its vibrant, research-led, entrepreneurial environment.
In its focus on Imperial people, the College commits to building a supportive, inclusive and highly motivated staff community; enriching the student experience; and building strong relationships with our alumni and friends.
Partners are critical to achieving our goals, and we commit to strengthening collaborations across the globe; working with industry to translate our innovative ideas into real-world benefits; informing decision makers to influence policy; and sharing the wonder and importance of what we do with the public, schools and our local communities.
The enablers that underpin our success are the strengthening and diversification of our revenue; professional support, consistent processes and appropriate technology for staff and students; and a commitment to acting courageously and innovatively when pursuing new opportunities.
Our impact in 2017–18
Delivering benefit for society is at the heart of all Imperial does. That benefit is often clear to see: our highly-skilled graduates become outstanding global citizens and leaders in their fields, while our researchers discover new treatments for some of the world’s most devastating diseases, unlock the mysteries of the planets in our solar system, and drive forward advances in artificial intelligence (AI) that could transform our daily lives.
But sometimes Imperial’s impact is less visible: our support for teachers helps them to instil a love of science in their classrooms, or a nascent entrepreneur from our local community brings her idea to life with the help of our students, staff and facilities.