International alumni event roundup

Find out what Imperial's alumni overseas have been up to in recent months

With the Imperial College Alumni Network reaching over 100,000 alumni in 190 countries, it is no wonder our alumni groups have been so busy.

Of course, the success of Imperial’s global alumni network owes a lot to the hard work and dedication contributed by individuals, and it is wonderful that alumni events whether they be purely social, professional or academic, help bring Imperial people together, wherever they are in the world.

So far, 2009 has seen a flurry of alumni activity. The Imperial College Alumni Association of Northern California has put their events calendar into motion with a group meeting, a visit to the Computer History Museum and a forthcoming annual hike through the Santa Cruz Mountains taking place at the end of May. Likewise, Ghanem Nuseibeh (Civil and Environmental Engineering 2000, PhD 2003), President of the newly formed Imperial College Alumni Network in the United Arab Emirates, has successfully launched a series of well-received lectures delivered by notable alumni in the region.

An alumni reception held in Muscat in early May spurred interest in future networking events and highlighted the need for more interaction between alumni based in the Sultanate of Oman. An Oman alumni network is currently taking shape as a result of this first meeting. In Bangladesh, Anika Ali (Biotechnology 2002) is keen to organise an alumni get-together in Dhaka over the next few months and Hiran Sumanaweera (Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1998) is looking for alumni interested in reviving professional networking opportunities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

To get involved in the above country networks, please contact the Alumni Relations team (details below).

Our International Ambassadors Scheme has been continuing to flourish, with Ambassadors ensuring our overseas alumni stay connected and keep up-to-date with the life and work of Imperial today. In June, Professor Dorothy Griffiths, Deputy Principal of Imperial College Business School, will meet and dine with alumni for the first time in Chicago. In the same month, Emeritus Professor John Burland, Senior Research Investigator in the Faculty of Engineering will be sharing ‘insider’ information on his involvement with the stabilisation of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in a talk to alumni in Tokyo.

In addition, the Office of Alumni and Development have been playing their part in increasing collaboration between alumni branches. Emma Jones, Alumni Relations Manager, paid a visit to our alumni groups in China in April. Meetings held in Beijing and Shanghai prompted discussions around how alumni from across China can work together and encourage the formation of new regional groups. The sheer size of the country can make it difficult to coordinate a national programme, which is also the case in other large countries such as the United States and India. It was agreed that the Imperial College Alumni Association of China would act as a cross-national organisation, facilitating collaboration and information exchange between the different regional branches. At present there are alumni branches in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen with expressions of interest received from a number of other areas.

During her trip, Emma also visited Hong Kong to give a presentation on current activities at Imperial to local alumni. The Hong Kong Alumni Association is well established with organised activities throughout the year. Their newly appointed President Dr Shir-Ming Shen (Mathematics 1979) introduced the event, talking about the importance of maintaining and developing strong networks, and the opportunities for collaboration with mainland China.

Alumni who are interested in getting involved in alumni activities either in mainland China or in Hong Kong are encouraged to contact the Alumni Relations team (details below).

It is very encouraging to see how the level of interest and activity in our international networks continues to increase and there are many more exciting opportunities for alumni around the world to get together throughout 2009.

Information about international events and groups is updated regularly on the alumni website.
For further information, including advice on setting up international groups, please contact the Office of Alumni and Development at alumni-international@imperial.ac.uk or on +44 (0)20 7594 6131.