120 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



the Imperial College, being merely a college and not a university, has no 

 power to grant university degrees in science. The Imperial College and its 

 constituent colleges have each its diploma, of deservedly high repute, but 

 they are merely diplomas, and not degrees. In view of the increasing demand 

 for professional men possessing university degrees, and of the facts that 

 the university degree is recognised as a hallmark and has a commercial value 

 in the industrial and professional worlds, a very large number of the students 

 of the Imperial College are driven to add a university degree to their college 

 diploma, notwithstanding that, in the views of many competent judges, the 

 diploma may represent at least as high, if not a higher, standard of scien- 

 tific attainment. The university degree most accessible to them is that of 

 the University of London, either the " external " degree or the " internal " 

 degree ; and the Imperial College is recognised as a " school," but is not a 

 constituent college, of the University of London, so that students of the 

 Imperial College may be recognised as " internal " students of the univer- 

 sity for the purpose of taking the " internal " degree of that university. 

 The drawbacks of such an irregular relationship between the Imperial 

 College and the University of London will be dealt with later. Here it is 

 only necessary to draw attention to the fact that the Imperial College, 

 though a " school " of the University of London, is not and never has been 

 under the control of the university. The College is " recognised " by the 

 university, but is not of it. 



The proposal, then, as was stated at the outset, is to give to the Imperial 

 College the status of a university with powers to confer degrees in its own 

 faculties. It is not advocated that such an academic innovation should be 

 more than tentative or not strictly limited. The normal type of university, 

 embracing a great number of faculties, would still remain and ought to be 

 the predominant and prevalent type. All that is claimed is that it would 

 be of national and, as will be shown, imperial benefit to introduce variety 

 in the university world by the establishment in London of one institution 

 granting degrees in science and technology, not to supersede but to supple- 

 ment the normal type. 



To some educationists this seems a startling innovation, but it is not 

 without precedent. Ziirich, Freiburg, Leipzig, Delft (Holland), and some 

 American cities have all technological institutes granting degrees. London, 

 as the centre of the Empire, for reasons which will appear presently, is in 

 urgent need of a scientific and technological institution having the power 

 to grant degrees. Such an institution would be the natural crown and 

 centre of scientific and technological education for the whole Empire. More- 

 over, a great national effort is being made to promote scientific and industrial 

 research throughout a wide range of British industries. The Committee of 

 the Privy Council for the Promotion of Scientific and Industrial Research, 

 now a definite Government department, is fathering and fostering the estab- 

 lishment of co-operative research associations for definite industries or 

 groups of allied industries. The creation of a university of science and 

 technology of the highest type and widest scope, such as the Imperial College 

 would be, must exercise an important and beneficial influence on this industrial 

 research movement, by pouring out a stream of the most highly trained 

 technologists and researchers to carry out the detailed work of the research 

 associations, and by raising the standard and status of scientific and tech- 

 nological education and research in the country. 



As to the question whether the character and standing of the Imperial 

 College of Science and Technology qualify it to receive university rank, if 

 it be granted that it is desirable to establish a university of science and 

 technology, there can scarcely be any doubt. The Imperial College was 

 styled " imperial," with deliberate intention, from the first. By its charter 

 it is charged " to give the highest specialised instruction and to provide the 



