UCL to award second Provost's Prize

UCL will award its prestigious Provost's Prize for the second year to two students from City and Islington College .

Zerrin Koca and Suleman Rahman have shown outstanding improvement during their time at CIC and have overcome disadvantage to achieve entry to UCL. They will both receive £2000 at a ceremony to be held at 5pm on Wednesday 24 November at UCL.

Zerrin Koca, a first year mathematics student, is originally from Turkey . She entered City and Islington College in 2002 and successfully passed A-levels in mathematics, further mathematics, physics, chemistry and Turkish. She says: "I really appreciate the help and support I receive at UCL. I particularly like the individual care given to students and after struggling financially in Turkey to complete my studies, am grateful to have the opportunity to study here."

Suleman Rahman joined City and Islington College from Holloway Boys School . He obtained A-levels in maths, chemistry and biology and is now in his first year at UCL studying medicine. He says: "I am absolutely delighted to receive the Provost's prize. I found the UCL link with my college to be very helpful, it made the impossible dream of getting into UCL a reality and I am grateful for the support I received at CIC. I now hope to fulfil my lifetime ambition to become a doctor."

UCL and City and Islington College are linked in a Partnership of Excellence, an innovative initiative formed four years ago in consultation with the DfES to raise the achievements and aspirations of the students in the sixth form college.

"I'm pleased so many of our students are going on to UCL and I'm delighted that Zerrin and Suleman are to receive this year's Provost's Prize," said Keren Abse, Director of City and Islington Sixth Form College. "They were extremely dedicated and determined A-level students and we are very proud of them. I'm sure they are destined for success both at UCL and in their future careers."

Notes for Editors

The Provost's Prize will be awarded at a reception to mark the fourth anniversary of the UCL/City and Islington Sixth Form College Partnership for Excellence at the Terrace Restaurant, UCL, Gower Street , WC1 at 5pm on Wednesday 24 November.

To attend the reception or for further details please contact Heidi Foden, UCL Media Relations, 020 7679 7678.