Last week, the Bagrit Centre for Biological and Medical Systems (BAMS) received approval from College Council to change its name to Department of Bio-Engineering. BAMS is a wholy postgraduate department, based mainly in the basement of Mechanical Engineering. It was one of the "border-line" Guilds departments which many had speculated would not be placed in the Engineering Faculty as part of the Rector's shake-up of College.

The name change essentially secures the department's future within the Faculty of Engineering. Prof. Chris Toumazou, who became Head of Department in April, had been keen to ensure that BAMS was recognised as an engineering discipline (and not put in the Medicine or Life Sciences Faculties).

The new name is also (apparently) an attempt to highlight the Department's broadening of activities, away from purely medical applications. With a new MEng Bio-Engineering undergraduate programme to be offered next year, it could also make a contribution towards balancing the male to female ratio in City & Guilds College.