WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER EDITION OF THE ALUMNI E-BULLETIN | UNIVERSITY NEWS Report quantifies University's half billion pound contribution to economy. Read more... Packed programme of events to celebrate the 2009 University of Aberdeen Music Prize. Read more... SUPA researchers to benefit from £48 million investment. Read more... Aberdeen marine scientists part of new alliance. Read more... |
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ALUMNI EVENTS AND REUNIONS 13 November, AGA Ceilidh, Aberdeen - The Aberdeen Geological Alumni (AGA) will be holding its annual ceilidh at the Elphinstone Hall on at 7.30pm. There is still time to book tickets by emailing Hazel Veitch at the Alumni Relations Office at h.veitch@abdn.ac.uk 1 December, Informal Gathering, London - Join fellow Aberdeen graduates Anne Horsburgh, Pamela Wilkie and Sarah Styles for drinks and the chance to reminisce at Albannach, 66 Trafalgar Square from 6.30pm. To book your place, email h.veitch@abdn.ac.uk . 5 December, Statutory Meeting of the General Council, Aberdeen - As a graduate of the University you are also a member of the General Council. You are invited to join us in King's College Conference Centre where the University's Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Duncan Rice, will give a report on the year's activities. Tea and coffee will be served from 10.30am. To book your place, email l.anderson@abdn.ac.uk. 5 December, Graduate Winter Lunch, Aberdeen - Join us in the Linklater Rooms from 12 noon to enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a delicious winter lunch - a perfect opportunity to socialise with friends and fellow alumni before the Christmas and New Year break. To book a place, email l.anderson@abdn.ac.uk. 10 December, New York - There will be a dinner for Aberdeen alumni in New York on Thursday 10 December. The dinner will be hosted by Vice Principal and Head of the College of Physical Sciences, Professor Albert Rodger at The Intercontinental Hotel, 111 East 48th Street at 7pm. To book your place, email Jim Day at jcday0126@aol.com. 14 January, Calgary - Vice Principal and Head of the College of Physical Sciences, Professor Albert Rodger will be in Calgary to meet with alumni. Please save this date in your diary as more details will follow shortly. 17 January, Vancouver - Join Vice Principal and Head of the College of Physical Sciences, Professor Albert Rodger on Sunday 17 January for afternoon tea. More details will follow shortly.
| LOOKING FOR A CAREER CHANGE? Don't forget that the Careers Service offers its expertise to all graduates from the University. To help you access these services, the department has recently launched a Virtual Advisor Service, allowing you to submit queries via the website and join in online chats. Many graduates from the University have already benefited from discussing their career options. If you would prefer to talk directly to a Careers Adviser you can set up a telephone interview. To get in touch, call 01224 273601; alternatively, the website www.abdn.ac.uk/careers includes a link to the Virtual Advisor service. ONLINE CHATS The Careers Service is planning industry-specific online chats for students and is looking for graduates who would be willing to answer questions about their careers. If you would like to be involved, please email t.innes@abdn.ac.uk. |
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UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN ALUMNUS ASSOCIATION Members of the Association, with partners and guests, attended “An Evening with Siobhan Convery” on 1 October 2009. Siobhan is the University Archivist and Head of the Special Libraries and Archives, and the evening centred on the University’s collections of archives and manuscripts which encompass the diverse aspects of Northern culture and convey the heritage of the city, Aberdeenshire and Scotland. Siobhan talked about the fascinating history of the archives and offered a rare opportunity to see some of these treasures at first hand. Further into the future, on 11 December the Association will hold its annual Christmas celebration at King’s College Chapel, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. On 29 January 2010, a performance of “The Surrogate” at the Arts Centre will be preceded by an optional supper at La Lombarda on the Castlegate. The play has been written by Charles Barron and will be directed by Roddy Begg. For more information about these and other planned events, contact the Association Secretary Alan Towns on (01224) 589812 or at abalas@btinternet.com. For information about membership of the Association, see the University website http://www.abdn.ac.uk/alumni/contacts/clubs.php. Non-members who wish to consider membership without making a commitment are welcome to attend up to two events on a trial basis. Members are advised that the next edition of the Association's publication "The Review" is expected to be issued in January 2010.
| HUNDREDS ATTEND CHAPEL 500 CELEBRATIONS Events to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the consecration of King's College Chapel were attended by hundreds of alumni and visitors to the Old Aberdeen landmark on Sunday 4 October. The day began and ended with worship services and events including walking tours and archival talks. Taking nine years to complete and using masonry from the sandstone quarries on the Moray Firth, the Chapel was designed as the heart of Bishop Elphinstone’s University. Over the centuries the Chapel has witnessed great change, from its Papal foundation to the Reformation, the Jacobite risings, and the unification of King’s and Marischal Colleges into a single University. Images from this very special day can be viewed here. The celebrations will continue throughout the winter term with a Tuesday lecture series, a music programme, and services bringing together various denominational traditions welcoming preachers of the Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. For more information about these events, please click here. © Donald Stewart Photography 2009 |
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UPDATE FROM THE STUDENT PRESIDENT, ROBIN PARKER A few things to report back on, first of all. The 75th Gaudie Anniversary was a big success, with a sell out at Elphinstone Hall, and we were very honoured to have Malcolm Christie, who edited the paper in the ‘50s come back and visit us - and there were several current editors there listening to his words of wisdom. The Charity Campaign's fashion show was once again a big success. Hopefully, once the money is added up, this will have taken us further towards our target of £100,000. I was also able to attend the Remembrance Day service in the Chapel, my first chance to try out the Students' Association robes ahead of Graduations later this month. It was a very good service, particularly Martin Bell's sermon, which was very direct and to the point - as you would expect from him. Our first meeting of Council was an epic, lasting 3 hours and full of discussion and debate, which is really pleasing and exciting for the rest of the year. Several motions were passed, calling for the Association’s policy to be made publicly available; supporting the valuable contribution made by wardens to students’ welfare at halls of residence; joining an international boycott of the Fruit of the Loom clothing company because of workers’ rights abuses in their factories in Honduras, reaffirming our commitment to our Fairtrade policy; and finally we passed a couple of motions on the future funding of education. University funding was back in the news at the beginning of this week, with the announcement in England of a review of the tuition fee system there and concerns expressed by student leaders that this was a review designed to raise the cap of fees. This will definitely be an issue which will reach as far as us here, north of the border. Student leaders here have started to call for a comprehensive review in Scotland too, one that will take account of the need for us to keep putting money into the University system to stay internationally competitive, as well as to ensure that the poorest students have sufficient money in their pockets to make the most of their time at University. In a time of recession, the government ought to be looking to fund education as an investment, rather than making cuts. Also with a recent report highlighting the financial contribution of the University of Aberdeen to the local economy, it makes sense for government and industry to put more into this University. Lastly, this issue ought to be a doorstep issue at the next General Election, regardless of your thoughts, and so I’m asking you to ask your representatives about this issue over the coming months. SA PRESIDENT
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