Alumni across Asia celebrate Imperial College's Centenary - Nov/Dec 2007

1,500 alumni took part in Centenary celebrations in Asia, with the College's Centenary tour of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and India, led by Sir Richard Skyes

Senior Ambassadors from Imperial College London took part in an eight day tour of Asia in November/December 2007, to celebrate the College’s strong links with the region.

Led by the Rector, Sir Richard Sykes, Imperial's Centenary was celebrated in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and India. We convey our thanks to the respective alumni associations for hosting such successful events and reuniting Imperial's international alumni.

 Malaysia

The Imperial College Alumni Asssociation of Malaysia (ICAAM) started off the Centenary celebrations in Asia, holding a gala dinner in Kuala Lumpur. Imperial Ambassadors, Sir Richard Sykes, Dr Tidu Maini and Professor Mary Ritter mingled with 100 alumni and guests at this event, which included members of the young alumni group in Malaysia, the Catalyst Club. To view photgraphs from the event, please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/icaam/page1/.

“It was a pleasure meeting the Imperial College representatives and working with the Alumni Relations team...culminating with the fantastic dinner. Thank you!” Dr Zainal Abidin Mior Ahmad, President, ICAAM

 Singapore

Several events were hosted by the Imperial College Alumni Association of Singapore (ICAAS), with the highlight being the Centenary Asia Convocation, which gave Imperial students the exciting opportunity of graduating in Singapore as an alternative to the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Ambassadors and prominent alumni gathered to share their expertise at the Imperial College Centenary Alumni Seminar. With the theme of “Developments in Management, Technology and Healthcare”, this one-day seminar was attended by almost 100 alumni. Talks by Sir Richard, Dr Maini, Professor Ritter and Professor Griffiths gave exclusive insights into the College’s strategic direction and research. Alumni leaders in industry gave presentations on their experiences, including talks by Kee-Hian Tan (Senior Global Expert, Blue Ocean Strategy Network), Eddie Chau (Founder, e-Cop) and Olivier Lim (Chief Financial Officer, CapitaLand).

The Singapore visit culminated with the Association’s gala dinner, celebrating ICAAS's 30th Anniversary and the College's Centenary, and attracting over a record 270 alumni.  Dr Lee Hing Yan (President, ICAAS) and the ICAAS Committee were deeply honoured with the presence of Mr SR Nathan, President of Singapore, Sir Richard (Rector) and Lady Sykes, Paul Madden (British High Commissioner), Mr JY Pillay (ICAAS advisor), Committee members from the neighbouring Imperial alumni associations of  Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand, as well as guests and the local alumni community.

 Thailand 

Professor Mary Ritter gave a presentation on Imperial's 100 year achievements at the Centenary dinner held in Bangkok. Hosted by the Imperial College Alumni Association of Thailand, almost 100 alumni attended this dinner held at the exclusive Royal Bangkok Sports Club. To view photgraphs from the event, please visit http://picasaweb.google.com/chawin/233ICCenteraryAtRBSC.

"Thank you to the Alumni Relations teams for supporting the Centenary Dinner in Bangkok. The event was a great success and everyone enjoyed themselves. We look forward to working closely with the College to generate more rewarding alumni activities and events in Thailand." Punsa Roengpithya, Convenor, ICAAT

 India

The Imperial College Alumni Association of India (ICAAI) was re-launched at the gala dinner attended by Ambassadors, Sir Richard Sykes, Dr Tidu Maini and Professor David Begg. Over 130 alumni were part of this special event in Mumbai, which included an address by Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, world-renowned leader in science and technology.

The Ambassadorial visit to India served to build strategic and collaborative links between the College and India on several different levels. As well as re-launching the Association, the visit incorporated the launch of both the Imperial College India Foundation and the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a centre established by Imperial’s Tanaka Business School aimed at enabling innovation management in UK and Indian companies.

“It was a thrilling experience attending the function in Mumbai. I had the opportunity to meet many professionals from various fields ranging from a fresh Business graduate to an experienced cardiac surgeon and a staggering 88-year old industrialist! The celebrities were simply a treat to listen to. I was re-energised and felt extremely proud to be an Imperial College alumnus! Well done and thank you.” Alumnus, Rohit Khajuria (Mechanical Engineering 1971)