London Olympic Park to host university

16:30 22nd April 2009

An international university is set to be built in the London Olympic Park once the Games have finished in 2012, according to the Times.

The learning institution, approved by mayor of London Boris Johnson and universities secretary John Denham, will take advantage of the advanced infrastructure developed for the Olympics and will provide a wide range of educational resources which could include computer training and other facilities.

Several international institutions, including the University of the Arts London, Tsinghua University, Beijing and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are being considered to run the university, which will accommodate 9,000 students.

An unnamed source close to the planning process told the paper: "The aim is to create an absolutely top-notch institution in the park. We're in talks with the very best universities in Britain and around the world to bring their expertise to East London."

The finished university will utilise communications infrastructure developed specifically for the Olympics, while there will also be a strong focus on research into renewable energy.

According to a Guardian report, Mr Johnson has announced £8 million of funding for a new engineering training academy in London.