Racing Car Inspection

This picture shows last year's single-seat bike-engined racing car built as part of the global Formula Student initiative - a series of international competitions focused on developing engineering talent worldwide. This model by University of Strathclyde Motorsport was designed, built, marketed and raced in the competitive high-octane environment of motor sport by a team of experienced final-year mechanical engineering and business students.

The people in the white coats and goggles who are looking suitably impressed are all former graduates of the university. They have contributed to this project (or one of the many other student projects) which would not happen without private sponsorship.

It was an invitation-only event of which I was a part. There were speeches from various grateful students and from the Principal Sir Jim McDonald, justly proud that this Glasgow university had also won the accolade of the Times Higher Education UK University of the Year 2013. Later we donned white coats and goggles and were privileged to see round a pharmacology lab where cheaper, safer and more effective treatments for cancer are being developed in partnership with the medical profession. However, the racing car scenario was the most photogenic part of the event and was the reason I made it today's blip.