A Night of Science and Engineering: exploring Tomorrow’s World at Queen Mary

NASA engineer and Queen Mary alumnus Dr Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu recorded a speech for the event (Credit: Akram Alomainy)

Held in the historic Octagon venue on 20 Feb, this year’s event, themed 'Tomorrow’s World', showcased groundbreaking research that is shaping the future. Guests explored interactive exhibits featuring cutting-edge advancements, from space-based solar power and AI-driven virtual teamwork to next-generation materials for a sustainable world. 

Real-world impact through collaboration 

Professor Colin Bailey, President and Principal of Queen Mary University of London, said: 

“It’s such a joy to welcome so many of our partners, friends and colleagues here to celebrate Queen Mary’s world-leading scientific discoveries and engineering solutions. Our research is top-ranked, but what matters even more is its real-world impact – helping shape future society, addressing inequalities, improving health and wellbeing, protecting the environment, and driving innovation. None of this would be possible without the partnerships and collaborations, driven by many of our guests this evening.” 

Professor Wen Wang, Vice-Principal for Science and Engineering, said: 

“Tonight’s theme ‘Tomorrow’s World’ showcases how Queen Mary is tackling global challenges through cutting-edge science and engineering. We are making advances that will help define the future and train the next generation of scientists and engineers. On display tonight is how Queen Mary is embracing the AI revolution. We’re not just researching AI – —we’re applying it, commercialising it, and embedding it into our education.” 

A highlight of the evening was a video appearance by NASA robotics engineer and Queen Mary alumnus Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu. The Ghanaian, who received his BEng in 1991, said that Queen Mary’s “exceptional accomplishments” came from its diverse community of people from all over the world. “Queen Mary instilled in me the philosophy that problems are opportunities to improve human knowledge and ultimately improve our lives,” he said. 

UK leader in social mobility 

Guests also celebrated the contributions of Dr Tony Hill, who was awarded an honorary degree for his ‘Levelling up: STEM’ programme, which he set up to widen participation in STEM by students from underserved communities. Queen Mary now runs a number of ‘Levelling up’ schemes. 

Accepting his award, Dr Hill said: “This wonderful university shares my dream – that every young person should fulfil their potential, regardless of their background. It means a lot to me personally because it comes from the UK leader in social mobility.”

Attendees engaged in an interactive exhibition and networking reception: a unique opportunity to experience first-hand the university’s research in action, from AI-driven predictive analytics to sound design technology capable of generating any sound effect imaginable. 

Dr Marcella Bona, a Reader in Particle Physics, was showcasing her SAPIENS project which uses machine learning to predict air pollution from traffic patterns in Mexico City. She said: 

“It has been amazing to meet people from different backgrounds here, because everyone gives a different perspective. The people I’ve met from industry have been very interested in the social impact of my work.” 

Supporting bright young minds into STEM careers 

Wesley Washington represented international scientific optics company Zeiss, which sponsors a PhD student at Queen Mary. He said: “The highlight for me has been seeing the PhD students talk about their future careers. It’s great to see what Queen Mary is doing to support these young, bright minds to reach their aspirational goals.” 

As someone who began his career via an apprenticeship, Wesley was also very supportive of Queen Mary’s degree apprenticeship programme. “I’m a huge advocate for that route,” he said. “It was amazing for me to have the chance to put my learning into practice. It’s great to see Queen Mary supporting apprenticeships and STEM careers and doing everything possible to give opportunity to those who need it.” 

As a projection of the cosmos was beamed onto the Octagon’s domed ceiling, Professor Martin Knight, Dean for Research in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, closed the speeches with a quote from Stephen Hawking: “Remember to look up the stars and not down at your feet... Be curious.”