WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER EDITION OF THE ALUMNI E-BULLETIN | UNIVERSITY NEWS University launches major curriculum change to potential new students. Read more... Photo story: Research to expand with purchase of lighthouse. Read more... University announces major donations for new Library and Special Collections Centre. Read more... Scottish European Green Energy Centre established in Aberdeen. Read more... Royal visitor meets sight saving researchers. Read more... |
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ALUMNI EVENTS AND REUNIONS A series of alumni events will be held in the USA this autumn to establish our first group of ‘hub cities’ where we will be increasing our activity. The events will start with a cocktail reception at the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco, followed by receptions in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia. Professor Chris Gane, Vice-Principal for Culture and Communities and Head of the College of Arts and Social Sciences will attend these events and give an update on activity at the University. Details of the events are listed below. If you would like to come along to one of our events or for more information email Jim Day, our UADT USA Administrator on jcday0126@aol.com. 18 September, San Francisco - Join us for a cocktail reception at 6pm in the Peacock Terrace, Hotel Monaco, 501 Geary Street, San Francisco. 21 September, Boston - There will be an alumni gathering with refreshments at the offices of Scottish Development International, 28 State Street, Boston, beginning at 6.30pm. 22 September, Chicago - There will be a dinner at the University Club Chicago, 76 East Munroe Street, Chicago, at 6.30pm. 23 September, Philadelphia - Join us for refreshments at the Cassatt House, 1320 Locust Street, Philadelphia, beginning at 6.30pm. 17 October, Reunion, Aberdeen - There will be a dinner dance at Elphinstone Hall on Saturday 17 October at 7.30pm, for alumni who were resident in Dunbar Halls in 1999 and 2000. Tickets are priced at £45 per person. For more information or to book your place email Stuart Forsyth, forsythstuart@hotmail.com. 28 October, Fochabers - Join us for a drink and canape reception at The Baxter Visitor Centre, Fochabers at 6.30pm. Professor Ron Keenan, Consultant Surgeon of the University Medical School will give a talk on, ‘A Colourful Career in Medicine’. 29 October, London UK - There will be an informal gathering for alumni living in London on Thursday 29 October at Albannach, 66 Trafalgar Square, London. For more information or to book your place, email h.veitch@abdn.ac.uk. | ALUMNI DOLPHIN WATCHING TRIP Last week, 24 University graduates took a trip to Cromarty for a dolphin watching boat trip, followed by an update on the work undertaken at the University’s Lighthouse Field Station and dinner at Sutor Creek. The evening was a huge success with both trips successfully sighting dolphins in their natural habitat, and plans are underway to repeat the trip in 2010. For more information or to register your interest, please email Hazel Veitch at h.veitch@abdn.ac.uk. For a full list of our events and reunions, click here. |
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UPDATE FROM THE STUDENT PRESIDENT, ROBIN PARKER Hi Alumni! Clubs & Societies At the moment we're busy preparing for Freshers' Week, and getting ready to welcome the next cohort of students into the Aberdeen 'family'. A huge part of what makes that 'family' functional is all the hard work our clubs and societies do throughout the year. That's why I think it is a particularly big achievement to have been ranked by WhatUni as being amongst the UK's ten best universities for its Clubs and Societies. We have over 100 societies and over 50 sports clubs, so this really is down to the huge number of students involved. Every society and club really does achieve a massive amount, but I thought I would pick out a couple of case studies for you: The Formula Student Society TAU Racing had an incredibly successful first year, winning three awards in an international competition against some of the best engineering universities in the world. The society was very pleased to have the support of the Alumni Annual Fund, as well as several other local organisations. Meanwhile, the Rifle Club won more British Universities points than any team ever on their way to becoming Scottish and British champions and winning the Scottish university team of the year award. There are a hundred other things I could have mentioned, and this really shows the high levels of participation that we have here at Aberdeen. For more information on Clubs and Societies please check out the AUSA web pages. Charities It has been another hugely success year for our long-running Charities Campaign, with student volunteers raising almost £80,000 for good causes. We were particularly pleased to help our Old Aberdeen neighbours with funding to help start the bells ringing again in the 200 year-old Old Town House at the top of the High Street. Thank you to everyone who gave a donation and well done to all our volunteers! Calling New Graduates We'd particularly like to hear from recent graduates about their experiences of the Student Association, whether they were positive or negative. We'll be sending out a request for feedback, and we'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts. Buses as usual And finally, because it can't all be good news (!), the talk of the town recently has been about buses. First Bus drivers have been on strike due to a pay dispute, the Office of Fair Trading has referred Aberdeen's service to the Competition Commission after an investigation into local bus monopolies, and First has done away with the Student Price Day Ticket. It adds up to a local transport situation which is less than satisfying for students and residents in Aberdeen. All this means that we'll be making accessible and reasonably-priced local transport a priority campaign for the year. Listen out for more to come in the coming months! Best wishes, Robin Parker
| 15% DISCOUNT FOR ALUMNI AT ABERDEEN SPORTS VILLAGE (ASV) Aberdeen Sports Village, our new sporting facility adjacent to the King’s College campus, opened its doors last month. Graduates of the University are entitled to a 15% discount on most membership options. To find out which options are available or to claim your discount contact Hazel Veitch at h.veitch@abdn.ac.uk or call 01224 273234. For more information or to take a virtual tour of ASV, click here. |
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WHERE TOMORROW BEGINS TOURING EXHIBITION The ‘Where Tomorrow Begins: Reflections of Scottish Innovation’ exhibition captures the spirit of innovation in Scotland’s universities. Using 40 stunning images, Kirsty Anderson, the Sunday Herald’s award-winning photographer, has created an exhibition demonstrating how Scotland’s universities are continuing our great legacy for discovery and innovation. The exhibition offers a glimpse of how discoveries being made today will have an impact in the future, and is an important part of 2009’s Homecoming Scotland celebrations. The exhibition is ongoing at the Mitchell Library, Glasgow (7 September - 29 September) and will then visit the Eden Court Theatre, Inverness (5 October - 31 October, and the Sensation Science Centre, Dundee (1 November - 22 November). Finally, the exhibition will come to Aberdeen from 23 November until the end of the year at a venue yet to be confirmed. For more information, click here.
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