Tag: Student life

From Bihar to the City of London: AI, opportunity and a historic civic honour

Anas Khan

Anas Khan, a Chevening Scholar at Imperial College London, reflects on his journey from Bihar to the UK, where he is studying AI and machine learning and was recently admitted to the Freedom of the City of London as a City Scholar. He explores how these experiences have shaped his interest in human-centric AI for social good.

London has a way of holding many centuries in the same breath. One day, I am studying artificial intelligence (AI) at Imperial. Another day, I am standing inside Mansion House, joining one of London’s oldest civic traditions. 

On 12 June 2026, I was admitted to the Freedom of the City of London as a City Scholar. The ceremony was performed by Sheriff Keith Bottomley, with the Lady Mayor, Dame Susan Langley, in attendance. It was a proud and humbling moment. It also made me reflect on the journey that brought me here, from Bihar in India to Imperial College London. 

Anas Khan

I came to London last year as a Chevening TVS Motor Company Scholar. This scholarship has been a bridge between countries, institutions, and ambitions. It enabled me to study at one of the world’s leading universities. It also placed me in a community where empathy is a core driver of impactful leadership. 

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More than a meal: The Department of Computing’s first community Iftar

IftarTo mark Ramadan, students in the Department of Computing hosted their first-ever community Iftar, welcoming more than 100 guests to share a meal, learn about fasting, and reflect together. Entirely student-led, the event celebrated openness, curiosity and community while creating space for faith, conversation and cultural understanding.

You may have recently seen or heard about our first-ever Department of Computing community Iftar. Perhaps you even attended in person. For many in our department, particularly my fellow Muslim students, it was a time we are unlikely to forget, and one that demonstrates the strength of our community overall.

Iftar is the meal eaten to break the fast during Ramadan, eaten at sunset and usually shared with family members or the wider community.

There is no shortage of tasks to complete at Imperial; coursework, applications or society roles, student life here is notoriously fast-paced, and Iftar provides a welcome window for reflection. We decided to invite our peers and colleagues to share this occasion with us and learn more about Ramadan.

The event itself was entirely student-led, an immense task given the logistics of sourcing food, organising a room and delivering talks on the day. A big shout out to the team at the Imperial Islamic Society for their assistance with food and volunteers for the Iftar. Openness and accessibility are woven into Iftar traditions across the world; it is not uncommon for mosques to provide a meal for their attendees, and we decided to mirror this practice by eliminating entry fees and sign-ups. Much of the vital planning and coordination on the day was undertaken by Aahil Jouher and Mohammed Tayyab, with support from Dr Jackie Bell (Principal Teaching Fellow for Equality, Diversity, Outreach and Public Engagement), the DoC Equality and Diversity team, and lastly the team of wonderful volunteers from the department.

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5 thoughts after spending a month in London

Hello! I’m Richard and I’m a first-year Computing student from Singapore who is trying to adjust to life in London. I like to read, play sports and go to the gym in my free time. I live in Southside halls and I’m part of the Imperial College Singapore Society. After being in London for a month, here are some of the random thoughts I’ve had so far.

1. Life on campus

University life has been hectic but enjoyable. While it might seem daunting to be around so many bright and motivated students, I have found that it is much easier to communicate and befriend people at Imperial. It is easy to find people with similar interests but with completely different backgrounds due to the many nationalities that make up Imperial, making for great conversation as we learn about each other’s culture. Lessons are the right level of challenging and there is always some society, hall or course event to attend. (more…)

Living at Out-of-Campus Halls, Pros and Cons

Hello! I am Chloe and I was born and raised in Hong Kong but went to Sixth Form in Cardiff, Wales.

I am currently a First Year Undergraduate here at Imperial College London for MEng Computing. Having been exposed to both sides of the globe, I would like to bring you Imperial College London, in a “when East-meets-West” approach. I am massively into anything tech-related, mathematics, and diving (SCUBA).

Imperial College London has many different types of halls, from a stone’s throw away to miles away (or probably a stone’s throw away if you are the Rock), I currently live at Woodward Buildings, one of Imperial College London’s halls located at North Acton.

Some might say “Why staying at an Out-of-Campus hall when you are here to experience the university life?”, so here I am to tell you the reasons why Out-of-Campus Halls are almost the best thing you can ever find:

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