UCL celebrates Festival of Engineering; 7,000 people attend event

UCL organized the Festival of Engineering from 15 July to 20 July 2024. The festival showcased how the engineers of University College London are creating the future in space exploration, AI, robotics and medicine.

Study in UK: UCL recently held its Festival of Engineering which provided a platform for young people and adults from across London and beyond to see cutting-edge science and engineering technologies. Around 250 events were held from 15-20 July.

The festival also marked 150 years of celebration of pioneering engineering education at UCL.

Professor Clare Elwell, Vice Dean for Impact from the UCL Faculty of Engineering who co-led the planning and delivery of the Festival, said, "Our first Festival of Engineering has been a truly wonderful celebration of pioneering engineering innovations and education here at UCL. We are thrilled at the level of engagement and impact it has generated with multiple audiences and is looking forward to embedding the legacy of the Festival into our ongoing activities across the Faculty and the University more widely."

Chris Neil, Head of the Digital Innovation Unit from UCL Faculty of Engineering, who co-led the planning and delivery of the Festival, said, “The value of engineers to modern day life is immeasurable, from the phone in your pocket to the International Space Station in orbit above us, and UCL has a proud history of pioneering engineering education that has changed the way engineers are taught across the globe. Our aim with the Festival of Engineering was not to celebrate the innovations of the past, but to look to the future, inspiring and empowering the next generation of problem-solvers and demonstrating that we can tackle some of the world's biggest challenges if we work together.”

UCL Festival of Engineering: More Details

The program was built around four themes - healthcare, climate, data and inequality. The first attendees were school groups. More than 50 schools attended these events in the initial six days of the festival. There were many events throughout these days which showcased how engineers of UCL are creating a future in AI, medicine, robotics and space exploration.

The festival was concluded with a fast-paced family show Bakineering: The Voyage. Aerospace engineer and judge of Netflix's Baking Impossible, Andrew Smyth presented this show.

Professor Nigel Titchener-Hooker, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Engineering, said, “I’d like to thank all those who have worked so hard to put on the UCL Festival of Engineering for 7,000 guests. Weeks and months of careful thinking came together in a unique and spectacular celebration of what makes UCL Engineering so special and effective. Every single event that was delivered over the six days was, without doubt, unique. We’ve created completely new engagements, and the week will be remembered for a long time to come.”   

“I have really enjoyed taking part in the UCL Festival of Engineering, which has been a wonderful and hugely successful week of science and engineering. It’s been enjoyed by a range of different audiences who are all crucial to the wider UCL ecosystem, from our current staff and students to industry partners, policymakers and the young people who might one day be UCL students themselves,” added UCL President & Provost, Dr Michael Spence.

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