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Student engagement, industrial collaborations and training are embedded in the Departments programmes. Engaging with our students connects you to the next cohort of Biochemical Engineering graduates.
UCL Biochemical Engineering is dedicated to assisting our students' access opportunities, increase their employability and launch their careers. We provide a number of opportunities for our industry partners to engage with students including placements, sponsor visits and our MBI Training Programme.
Why employ a UCL Biochemical Engineering student?
Our students are high-calibre individuals, who have applied themselves to both academic achievement and practical skill development. Our students are educated to a high-level with strong knowledge of underlying disciplines. Our emphasis on research-based teaching and new technologies means our students can inject fresh ideas and contribute up-to-date knowledge.
Engaging with students will raise the profile of your organisation as an employer of choice and strengthens your connection to a new cohort of future talent.
- Year In Industry Programme
Our Year in Industry programme is an optional stream for our 4th year Master of Engineering (MEng) students. The objective of the programme is for students to learn in an industrial environment with academic support for a 9 - 15 month period. Participating students work in industry on a project relevant to Biochemical, Chemical or Process Engineering and will attend 4 MBI Training courses across the placement.
During the placement, the student will have the same duties and responsibilities as an employee and recieve a salary in line with industry practice. Students are required to produce a comprehensive report, industry logbook, skills portfolio and deliver a poster presentation at UCL.
We work closely with our industrial partners to define the scope of the placement and provide our partners with the opportunity to conduct recruitment interviews to ensure 'best-fit ' for both the student and the company. As an industry partner, you will guide the student day-to-day and will work closely with the UCL supervisor to provide mentoring and feedback.
Prior to the commencement of a Year in Industry student placement, UCL and the company will sign a placement agreement to ensure confidentiality and the company's' IP rights are protected.
- Programme Director: Prof Eli Keshavarz-Moore
- Programme Manager: Imogen Morehead
- Summer Placements
Summer projects are not part of the curriculum but a welcome opportunity for our students to get hands-on experience during the summer. Placements vary in duration and are advertised throughout the year as opportunities become available. Funding may be available and students can apply for external bodies such as RI, RSC, UCL Innovation and Enterprise. Get in touch with Dr Chika Nweke for more information.
- Master Projects
As final part of their course our MSc Biochemical Engineering students will perform a 10 to 12 weeklong research project. We are welcoming the involvement of you as industry partner in offering a project at your company or sponsor a project at UCL for example as part of a collaboration.
Projects should be in an area relevant to bioprocessing and should have a departmental supervisor. The projects will be allocated to the students in early November. Students are not being paid but the company should refund any extra expenses like travel and accommodation. In case the project is carried out at the Department we would ask for a ‘bench fee’ to cover expenses.
UCL Biochemical Engineering has played a key role in the emergence of the advanced bioindustry and has extensive industrial collaborations in both research and training.
Research in the department benefits from strategic oversight provided by the Advisory Board to the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering (ACBE) which comprises leading figures from the international bioindustry. The ACBE Advisory Board oversees activities and synergy between the department’s three main research programmes:
The Biocatalysis-Chemistry-Engineering Interface (BiCE) programme is concerned with the synthesis of complex chiral pharmaceuticals and the integration of biocatalysis and chemistry to achieve greater selectivity. It is advised by a Steering Group comprising 13 leading chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
The Innovative Manufacturing Centre (IMRC) for Bioprocessing focuses on new technologies for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals including human proteins, genes and vaccines. It is advised by a Steering Group comprising of 12 leading biopharmaceutical companies and their suppliers.
The Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing (RegenMed) programme is concerned with the bioprocessing issues that will underpin the emerging classes of regenerative medicines based on human cells and tissue. It has collaborations with most of the leading national and international companies in this sector.
The outputs of these research programmes can be accessed through our HEFCE-funded Bioprocess Enterprise activities. This provides opportunities for shorter term industry collaborative research and consultancy and the supply of UCL Ultra Scale-Down (USD) devices.The Department also represents the largest source of trained new staff for the international bioindustry and related sectors such as engineering design, consultancy and management. The department hosts an EPSRC-funded Engineering Doctorate (EngD) Training Centre involved in the enhanced doctoral level training of future industry leaders. Over 60% of doctoral programmes in the department are collaborative with industry involving over 40 companies. A part-time Masters programme involving modular courses for companies is also available via the MBI ® Training programme. To date over 1000 individuals from over 200 companies have taken MBI modules and over 70 industrialists contribute to Masters level training provision.
All research and training provision in the department benefits from outstanding laboratory, computing and large scale bioprocessing facilities following capital investments worth over £30 million in recent years. This ensures all our graduates are familiar with the latest technologies and have experience of large scale bioprocessing.