Alumni Reunion 2007 attracts record number of Imperial’s past students

Weekend of events celebrates the College’s Centenary year - News

Friday 21 September 2007
By Naomi Weston

Nearly 900 alumni and guests from all over the world attended a weekend of events at Imperial College London from the 14-16 September 2007 in celebration of the College’s Centenary year.

Organised by the Office of Alumni and Development, the weekend brought former students from all departments back to the College to meet old friends and find out how Imperial had developed over the years.

A Centenary Quiz kick started the Reunion weekend on the Friday night, where contestants answered questions about Imperial’s history and the number 100. For the less historically minded, In addition, the Faculty of Engineering and the Department of Chemistry hosted receptions for their alumni, opening their doors for past students to tour round and see how they have changed over the years. Some departments also put on talks and demonstrations, including a nostalgic look at mechanical engineering at Imperial delivered by 94 year old Emeritus Professor Sir Hugh Ford.

Highlights of the weekend itself included a key note lecture by the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government , Sir David King, on the global challenges of climate change, a tour of the Flight Gallery at the Science Museum and Professor Sir Ara Darzi’s lecture on technology in surgery. Professor Darzi is Chair of Surgery at Imperial and Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Department of Health.

Alumni also had the opportunity to climb the 324 steps of the historic Queen’s Tower at the heart of the South Kensington Campus, enjoying views over the College and west London. Brian Roper, MSc Earth Science and Engineering, 1979, said: "The view from the tower was still as exhilarating as it was 28 years ago."

The Reunion dinner took place on Saturday evening in a marquee on the College’s Queen’s Lawn. Hosted by the Rector, Sir Richard Sykes, the event brought together 250 alumni and guests, who were entertained by the Imperial College Big Band and a spectacular fireworks display. Sir Richard said: "I was delighted to see so many alumni back at the campus. This weekend is without a doubt one the biggest and most exciting events of our Centenary year." He added: "This is a year that belongs to everyone who has ever studied or worked at Imperial College during the last century."

On Sunday, many of the departments around the South Kensington campus opened their doors to provide tours and demonstrations for alumni and their families. Julian Race, Physics, 1989, had an "enlightening and thought provoking visit to his old department." The closing event for the weekend was the Beit Quad Barbecue, where alumni had their last chance to meet up with former classmates and friends.

Twenty seven current students were on hand throughout the weekend to direct guests and chat to people about life at the College today.

Looking back at the events, Fiona Kirk, Director of Development at the College, said: "The weekend was a great success, as evidenced by the large number of positive comments we received from alumni who attended. It was wonderful to see so many people returning to the college and reminiscing about their time here." She added: "It was the biggest alumni event ever organised by the OAD and we are enormously grateful to our speakers and other faculty representatives as well as to the conferences and catering team for all of the invaluable support they gave in delivering an excellent weekend of activities."