THE Queen met students, staff and alumni at the opening of the University of East London's new business school and centre.

Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh toured the campus and new Knowledge Dock Centre where the Royal couple enjoyed a dance performance choreographed by UEL graduate Honey Kalaria.

Dancer Sabina Amin, from Redbridge, said: "Performing in front of Her Majesty was a once in a lifetime experience. The Royal visitors seemed to enjoy our performance and appreciated the intricate Bollywood moves."

Ms Kalaria said: "It was a real privilege and an honour to be part of the opening ceremony and to sit at lunch with Her Majesty and His Royal Highness. I am proud to be a part of UEL which is a real force for positive change and personal growth."

UEL's new business school on the waterfront of the Royal Albert Dock features a vast trading floor, and provides undergraduate and MBA programmes in all aspects of business and management to 4,000 students on campus and worldwide.

The Knowledge Dock Centre is home to UEL's enterprise development and support service which works with over 1,000 businesses, mainly in the local area.

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, locally and globally. 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."

The faciliies were opened on Friday, February 16. To find out more about courses at UEL log on to www.uel.ac.uk.