Staff and students at the University of East London welcomed Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh for the official opening of UEL's new Business School and Knowledge Dock Centre on Friday 16 February.

Rolf Harris and UEL art students led a sketching master-class with pupils from local schools, Bollywood dancing, and the 'Magic of Learning' performance from the Lord Mayor's Show as part of a Pavilion showcasing partnership work with local schools, colleges and community groups.

The ceremony began at midday at UEL's Docklands Campus. Her Majesty was welcomed by hundreds of UEL staff, students, supporters, and partners from local schools, colleges and community groups.

The main presentation party included UEL Chancellor Lord Rix, Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham, and Professor Martin Everett, UEL's newly appointed Vice-Chancellor. 350 guests including Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia and other dignitaries, as well as UEL staff and students, attended a presentation, and Her Majesty unveiled a plaque to formally open the Business School and Library.

UEL's new Business School, located on the waterfront of the Royal Albert Dock, features a vast 'trading floor' open-plan teaching space and computing hall, a 400-seat lecture theatre and an innovative library open 24 hours a day. The Business School provides undergraduate and MBA programmes in all aspects of business and management to 4,000 students on campus and world-wide.

Damla Mehmet and Shoaib Bakhat, both final-year students in UEL's Business School, were among a group of 24 students working on a water efficiency marketing project with representatives of Thames Water as Her Majesty toured the building.

"It was so exciting", she said. "I can't believe I actually met the Queen. I'm really enjoying my degree here at UEL and this visit was a very special event for all of us!"

The Royal party also visited the new Knowledge Dock Centre, where they were given a tour of the facilities housed with the Centre, including: the HotHatch, Fabric, Print & Design Bureau, Product Design Lab, SMART lab Digital Media Institute and Sustainability Research Institute. A number of licensees and clients of Knowledge Dock were also on hand to greet the Royal party.

Weinshet Tulloch, Director of Anbessa Criminal Justice Solutions, said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to have met His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. I feel really privileged to be invited by Knowledge Dock to be a part of this wonderful occasion”.

Awad Bhenick, President of the UEL Entrepreneurship Society, was one of 10 entrepreneurs working in HotHatch on Friday. Awad, a UEL Media and Advertising graduate who also directed a film of the occasion, said: "This is a wonderful event and I'm really excited to be so closely involved. Knowledge Dock has done so much to support me and countless other entrepreneurs and businesses in East London - this is fantastic recognition."

Professor Martin Everett, UEL's new Vice Chancellor, said: "We are greatly honoured that Her Majesty and His Royal Highness are here to open these wonderful new facilities.

"At UEL, we are committed to transforming the horizons not only of our students, but of the wider community we serve. We have come a long way in a short time and today has been a wonderful beginning for these exciting new facilities and a very special celebration for all involved."