Alumni Reunion 2006: Event Report

The Alumni Reunion 2006 provided the perfect opportunity for nearly 300 alumni and guests to revisit the campus and reminisce.

Imperial College has changed dramatically since many of its alumni studied here, and the Alumni Reunion 2006 provided the perfect opportunity for nearly 300 alumni and guests to revisit the campus and reminisce.

Those who attended the reunion enjoyed an engaging lecture programme, tours of local museums and visits to their former departments.

Following a welcome and College update from the Rector, Sir Richard Sykes, scientist and presenter Lord Robert Winston provided the morning’s lecture, entitled Can we trust the scientists?, to a lecture theatre filled with attendees of all generations. Lord Winston’s lecture will be available to view online shortly.

The series of afternoon lectures, which were built around the reunion’s theme of communicating science, proved just as popular. Alumnus Carlo Massarella explained how his EMMY award winning documentary DNA: The Human Race was made, while Professor Hans Michels described his experiences on the other side of a camera when he is called upon to provide expert advice to the media, such as after the London terrorist attacks in July 2005.

Drs Matt Genge and Phil Bland examined how the end of the world is portrayed by the media and the role of scientists in preventing hysteria, and Stephen Webster explained how Darwinism was put into dramatic format for his musical theatre show Darwin’s Dream.

Children of all ages were fascinated by the bubble show at the Science Museum and explored music, costume and light during the Darwin’s Dream interactive session. You can listen to some of the music created in the Darwin’s Dream interactive session.

Dinner in the Senior Common Room concluded the day’s events and provided the perfect opportunity for alumni to catch up and reminisce about their own student days. Dr Tidu Maini, Pro-Rector for Development and Corporate Affairs, hosted the dinner, where guests were welcomed with a drinks reception and entertained by a student-led string quartet.