Reconnect at
Alumni Weekend
Friday 5 - Sunday 7 June 2015
Edinburgh Innovation
Scottish Inspiration
Global Application
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Welcome
Reconnect with University life at our biggest alumni event of 2015.
Please join us from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 June for a weekend of ideas and
experiences. Whether you want to relive your student days, find out
what’s happening here today or see what’s changed since you left, you
can expect plenty to inspire and entertain.
This is a fantastic opportunity to get together with fellow graduates from all over
the world and reconnect with your alma mater.You could even forge some new
friendships with others who share your special connection to Edinburgh.
You’ll be able to take advantage of exclusive access, behind the scenes tours, and
unique events. Celebrate bold thinking and lively debate as you hear from world
leading academics and explore the latest developments at the University.You can find
the latest programme and details on how to book on our website:
http://alumniweekend.ed.ac.uk
We hope you will be able to be part of Alumni Weekend - you can come for one
event, one day, or the full three days. We look forward to welcoming you back.
Get Together
Have you ever thought about getting your classmates together for a reunion but wondered
where to start? Join us at Alumni Weekend - the perfect time for a class or friendship group
reunion. With three days of events and activities, it’s a great opportunity to reminisce
whilst taking advantage of exclusive events and a unique atmosphere.
HOW WE CAN HELP
From contacting alumni on your behalf, recommending venues and activities, and letting
you know all the secrets of a successful reunion, we are here to help make your celebration
an occasion to remember.
For more
information please
contact us at
[email protected]
MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY
If you graduated in a year ending in a 0 or a 5, 2015 is a milestone
anniversary year, so don’t miss your chance to celebrate.
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Events Programme
Friday 5 June
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School of Chemistry
Open House
Joseph Black Building,
King’s Buildings
10am–11:30am
Join staff and students to hear about current research, take a look around the building, and see some
special experiments relating to the International Year of Light. Enjoy refreshments in the School’s
very own museum.
Behind the Scenes
at the Royal Observatory
of Edinburgh
The Royal Observatory of
Edinburgh, Blackford Hill
10:15am–11:15am
Opened in 1896, the Royal Observatory site has a special place in the world of astronomical heritage,
science and technology. Today the Observatory’s astronomers are finding innovative ways of using
their technological expertise in fields outside of astronomy, such as medicine.
Join Dr Ken Rice, Reader, School of Physics and Astronomy, to find out about all the latest development
in this special tour. You’ll also meet the Librarian of the Crawford Collection, one of the most
extensive and valuable astronomical libraries in the world.
Visit to FloWave
Ocean Simulator
Max Born Crescent,
King’s Buildings
10:30am–11am
Tour the unique FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility, the first of its kind, and the world’s most
sophisticated ocean simulator.
Conceived for cutting edge academic research, the tank can replicate, complex combinations of
currents and tides found around the world.
See FloWave being put through its paces, and hear just how the facility can be used to test offshore
renewable energy technologies, and help engineers harness the power of the sea.
Edinburgh College of Art
Degree Show
Edinburgh College of Art,
74 Lauriston Place
11am–5pm
Each summer Edinburgh College of Art is transformed into the capital’s biggest gallery space.
Explore this year’s Degree Show, featuring the work of more than 500 artists, film makers, designers
and architects. This extensive exhibition promises to excite and stimulate with a vast array of
innovative and challenging work.
No booking required. Please allow at least an hour and a half for your visit.
A Nobel Pursuit: Fifty
Years of the Higgs Boson
James Clerk Maxwell Building,
King’s Buildings
12 noon–1pm
In 2012, physicists working at CERN, near Geneva, announced the discovery of the mysterious,
but long searched-for, Higgs boson particle.
After the discovery, Peter Higgs and François Englert of the Université libre de Bruxelles were
awarded the Nobel prize in Physics in 2013 for their pioneering theoretical work predicting this new
particle. Edinburgh alumna Dr Victoria Martin, Reader in particle physics, School of Physics and
Astronomy, will introduce the Higgs boson and explain how Edinburgh physicists are collaborating
with scientists from all over the world into understanding the fundamental physics of the universe.
Tyrannosaur Discoveries:
The Newest Members
of the Tyrant Dinosaur
Family Tree
James Clerk Maxwell Building,
King’s Buildings
12 noon–1pm
Tyrannosaurus rex is the most famous dinosaur of all: a 13-metre long, 5-ton killing machine
that reigned during those few million years before an asteroid impact snuffed out the dinosaurs.
But where did T. rex come from? How did such an incredible predator evolve?
Join Dr Stephen Brusatte, Chancellor’s Fellow in Vertebrate Palaentology in the School of
GeoSciences, to meet ‘Pinocchio rex’ and other newly-discovered tyrannosaurs, and learn how
palaeontologists discover fossils and use cutting-edge techniques to study dinosaur evolution.
Forty Years of Fire Safety
Engineering at Edinburgh:
Past, Present and Future
James Clerk Maxwell Building,
King’s Buildings
12 noon–1pm
Dr Rory Hadden, Rushbrook Lecturer in Fire Investigation, School of Engineering, will highlight
key milestones in the development of the department and ponder how an evolving urban landscape
is shaping the future of Fire Safety Engineering.
Epigenetics in the Future
of Medicine
James Clerk Maxwell Building,
King’s Buildings
2pm–3pm
Professor Sir Adrian Bird holds the Buchanan Chair of Genetics in the School of Biological Sciences
and has spent much of his career researching the fascinating field of epi-genetics. Join him to hear
how his discovery of the protein MECP2 which is implicated in Rett Syndrome, a devastating autism
spectrum condition, led him on a research path which has seen him reverse many of the effects of
the condition in mice, and has offered tantalising glimpses of the future of genetic therapies.
The History of Old College
50 George Square
2pm–3pm
As work starts on a major renovation of the north side of Old College, it is interesting to reflect on
the history of the building and on its site in Edinburgh. Granted to the City of the University by
James VI, the site is historically important. Join Professor John Cairns, who holds a Chair in Civil
Law in the School of Law, to explore the development of the building, and its continuing adaptation.
Tour of the
Rushbrook
Fire Laboratory
John Muir Building,
King’s Buildings
2:30pm–3pm
The Rushbrook Fire Laboratory, a globally unique facility, is home to staff and students of the BRE
Centre for Fire Safety Engineering.
Join Dr Rory Hadden, Rushbrook Lecturer in Fire Investigation, School of Engineering, for a
special tour which will include a demonstration of flashover and the fire tornado to highlight the
fundamental science behind the application of Fire Safety Engineering.
Cool Crystals – HeatStorage for a Greener
Future
James Clerk Maxwell Building,
King’s Buildings
3:30pm–4:30pm
42% of UK energy consumption is in the form of heat, much of which is ultimately derived from the
combustion of fossil fuels, resulting in the emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Professor
Colin Pulham, who holds a Personal Chair in High Pressure Chemistry in the School of Chemistry,
illustrates how a highly successful academic-industrial partnership has translated fundamental
research on crystalline salts into novel, large-scale devices for heat storage, which are suitable for
both domestic and industrial applications. This technology not only has a positive impact on the
environment, but also saves money for consumers!
The Mathematics
of Biodiversity
James Clerk Maxwell Building,
King’s Buildings
3:30pm–4:30pm
The rapid decline in biodiversity now taking place is believed by some to be the start of one of the
greatest mass extinctions in the history of life on earth. Taking action on this requires not only
political will, but also sound methods for quantifying and reasoning about diversity – because
without them, we risk channelling conservation funds in the wrong directions.
Join Dr Tom Leinster, Chancellor’s Fellow, the School of Mathematics, to explore the deep
mathematical problems here, and hear how solving them has involved some surprising branches
of mathematics.
Library Treasures Tour
Main Library, George Square
3:30pm–5:30pm
Join our team of curators, librarians, archivists, cataloguers and conservators on a special tour
of the Main Library, designed by Sir Basil Spence, a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art.
Completed in 1967, and A-listed in 2005, the Library has recently undergone a £60 million
redevelopment to provide 21st century facilities for students and staff. So while it may still look
very familiar from the outside, inside you will see great change. Come along to see some of our
most treasured items. We’ll also show you how the collections are being used by students and
other researchers in the digital age.
Robots that Learn:
Spills, Thrills and
Challenges
50 George Square
5pm–6pm
What is your science fiction fantasy: a personal robot butler doing your household chores
autonomously or going to the surgeon to buy a new bionic part to augment your body’s capabilities?
Today, robots are increasingly making the journey from industry floors to our homes.
Professor Sethu Vijayakumar, who holds a Personal Chair in Robotics, School of Informatics, and is
Director, Edinburgh Centre for Robotics and show some of the cutting edge research that is aimed
at making robots as versatile, safe, reactive and adaptive as us humans. He will illustrate the spills
and thrills of working with some of the world’s most sophisticated anthropomorphic robots.
Secret Lives, Memory
Palaces, and Concrete
Monstrosities:
Adventures in building
stories and narrative
structures
50 George Square
5pm–6pm
Buildings almost always outlive their creators, and once they do, they are set to uses, extended
and altered in ways never originally imagined. Like folk tales, buildings are passed on from one
generation to another, both preserved and transformed in the passing.
Architect and historian Ed Hollis, Director of Research at Edinburgh College of Art, will explore
how the stories we tell about buildings go further than merely describing their subject. Using the
example of St Peter’s Seminary, Cardross, he will show storytelling can be used in live projects to
make and unmake the places we live in.
The Spice of Life:
Understanding Living
with Dementia
50 George Square
5pm–6pm
For most people, quality of life is enhanced by having a little excitement – a little challenge or
adventure. For people living with a diagnosis of dementia, however, there is a concern to keep
them ‘safe’ and the tension between managing safety and maintaining independence permeates
all aspects of their relationships with family and care staff. Professor Charlotte Clarke, Head of
the School of Health in Social Sciences, will explore some of the research into ‘silent harms’
and the ‘contested territories of everyday life’ as people seek to maintain identity, purpose and
meaning in their lives.
Student Union Revisited
Teviot Row House,
Bristo Square
7pm–late
Turn back the clock with a night of nostalgia in Teviot Row House, the oldest purpose built student
union in the world. Meet up with fellow alumni, staff and students and relive your student days with
dancing, drinks and food. We have a few surprises in store, too.
We’ll be pitting alumni, students and staff against each other in our big quiz – just taking part you’ll
be helping to fund student scholarships and bursaries.
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Events Programme
Saturday 6 June
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Explore the
Anatomical Museum
Anatomical Museum,
Medical School,
Teviot Place
10–11am
Delve into Edinburgh’s medical history, on a guided tour from the early 1700s to the dawning of
a new age of 21st century medical enlightenment. This fantastical tour of the old Medical School
and Anatomical Museum will be led by one of Edinburgh’s greats from its pioneering medical past,
Professor Alexander Monro Primus. You’ll have the opportunity to explore and learn about the
anatomical collections and their future, while celebrating Edinburgh’s role in the advancement
of modern medicine. An event not for the faint hearted!
General Council
Half-Yearly Meeting
Edinburgh Centre for Carbon
Innovation, High School Yards
10:30am–12:15pm
Continue your involvement with the University by attending the half-yearly meeting of the
General Council.
The General Council consists of the graduates, academic staff and members of the supreme governing
body of the University, the University Court. This meeting allows graduates to have their say on
matters which affect the well-being and prosperity of the University. Dr Andy Kerr, Executive
Director of Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI), will address the General Council.
Now and Then:
University Tours
Meet at the University’s
Visitor Centre, 2 Charles Street.
11am–12 noon
Take a trip down memory lane with a walk around your old haunts in the central campus area.
Much has changed over the years and you’ll get the inside track on life here today from the people
who know best: our current students. Share your own memories and compare them with others,
long past and more recent.
Edinburgh College of Art
Degree Show
Edinburgh College of Art,
74 Lauriston Place
11am–5pm
Each summer Edinburgh College of Art is transformed into the capital’s biggest gallery space.
Explore this year’s Degree Show, featuring the work of more than 500 artists, film makers, designers
and architects. This extensive exhibition promises to excite and stimulate with a vast array of
innovative and challenging work.
No booking required. Please allow at least an hour and a half for your visit.
General Council Lunch
and Lecture
Playfair Library Hall,
Old College
12:30–2:30pm
Join members of the General Council for a drinks reception and lunch in the iconic Playfair Library.
Lunch will be followed by an address by Edinburgh alumna Dr Hermione Cockburn, Scientific
Director at Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh’s popular visitor attraction and earth science centre.
Entering the Golden Age
of Journalism
Assembly Hall,
New College
3:30–5pm
University of Edinburgh honorary graduate and Channel 4 news anchor Jon Snow will explore
the future of journalism in a shifting media landscape. He will reflect on his career, and address
the challenges and possibilities facing news media today.
This lecture will be followed by a panel discussion. A panel of media professionals will examine
the issues and implications for news organisations in a fast changing industry.
There will also be a Q&A session, giving the audience the opportunity to share their thoughts,
and contribute to what promises to be a very lively debate.
The Alumni
Weekend Ceilidh
South Hall, Pollock Halls,
Holyrood Park Road
7:30pm–late
Enjoy dancing, dinner and drams at this evening full of Scottish celebrations. Our piper will greet
you on arrival and the Clappydoo Ceilidh Band will have you dancing in no time. Our caller will
ensure you know all the steps as you hone your dancing skills.
Sunday 7 June
Knowledge, Intuition
and Delight: The First
Forty Years of the
Talbot Rice Gallery
Talbot Rice Gallery,
Old College
11am–12 noon
Principal Curator, Pat Fisher, will explore the origins of the gallery and its early civic intentions,
coming right up to date with the expansive public programme of exhibitions and activities that
characterise the gallery today. This will include an impressive roll call of past artists, a dynamic
array of events and an introduction to the 2015-2018 programme.
Edinburgh College of Art
Degree Show
Edinburgh College of Art,
74 Lauriston Place
11–5pm
Each summer Edinburgh College of Art is transformed into the capital’s biggest gallery space.
Explore this year’s Degree Show, featuring the work of more than 500 artists, film makers,
designers and architects. This extensive exhibition promises to excite and stimulate with
a vast array of innovative and challenging work.
No booking required. Please allow at least an hour and a half for your visit.
Leading Edinburgh:
The Principal &
Vice-Chancellor in
Conversation
Playfair Library Hall,
Old College
2–3pm
In this special event, hosted by the University’s General Council, the Principal & Vice-Chancellor,
Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, shares his perspective on what it is really like to lead a world class
University. Drawing on his experiences at the helm, the Principal will highlight some of the latest
developments here as well as discussing Edinburgh’s impact on the wider world. Join us for a rare
insight into what the Principal thinks about the challenges and opportunities facing the University today.
The Old College
Afternoon Tea Party
Old College Quad,
South Bridge
3–5pm
What better way to round off your weekend than with a party in the beautiful setting of Old
College Quad? Enjoy a glass or two of something lovely before a delightful afternoon tea on the
lawn. There will also be live music and a pop-up bar so you can relax and unwind in the company
of old and new friends. Come as you are or dress up in vintage inspired summer finery.
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Booking Your Place
Many events have limited capacity so please book now to secure your
place. You need to register for all the events you would like to attend,
even if they are free.
You can book the entire weekend or choose to attend individual events. Please view
our programme for additional information on each event. A booking confirmation
will be issued once your registration has been processed.
ONLINE
We recommend booking online to secure your place immediately. All events can be
booked using the University of Edinburgh’s online store and booking system, ePay.
Please see: http://alumniweekend.ed.ac.uk/book-now/
BY POST
Bookings can be made by post by completing the booking form and returning it to us
at the following address:
Alumni Weekend
Development and Alumni
The University of Edinburgh
Charles Stewart House
9-16 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1HT
You can download the booking form from our website or call us to receive a copy.
Please contact the team on +44 (0)131 650 2242 or by email at [email protected]
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CANCELLATION POLICY
It is your responsibility to check upon receipt of booking confirmation that all details
are correct.
Cancellation of booking must be received in writing or via email at least seven days
before Alumni Weekend. Please send notice of cancellations to the postal address
listed above or to [email protected]
Refunds will only be issued for cancellations made before 29 May. No refunds
will be submitted to the Finance Office for processing until after Alumni Weekend.
We make every effort to provide the programme as advertised but all events are
subject to change. We reserve the right to introduce discounts and alterations
without prior notification.
By registering to attend, you confirm that you have understood our terms and conditions.
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Planning Your Trip
GETTING HERE
Edinburgh has excellent public transport links making it
accessible from all major cities in the UK and beyond. Please see:
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/transport/public-transport
STAY WITH US
The University offers a wide range of great value accommodation options.
Edinburgh alumni are entitled to special discounts on University accommodation.
For further details on accommodation offers, see:
www.ed.ac.uk/alumni/services/benefits/discounts/venue
To book Alumni Weekend accommodation, please quote the promotional code FAF1415
and visit: www.book.accom.ed.ac.uk
ALUMNI CARD
All University of Edinburgh alumni are entitled to the alumni card - your gateway to a range of alumni
benefits and services including gym membership and exclusive discounts. Don’t forget to bring your
alumni card to Alumni Weekend. Please see: www.ed.ac.uk/alumni/services/benefits/alumni-card
CAMPUS MAPS
There is detailed information on our campuses on the University website. The maps are also available
as a printed booklet. Copies may be collected from the University Visitor Centre or you can download
a PDF version. Please see: www.ed.ac.uk/maps
BUILDING ACCESS AND FACILITIES
The University website has a series of building guides.
Please see: www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/estates-buildings/buildings-information/disability
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THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH VISITOR CENTRE
The Visitor Centre is located at 2 Charles Street in the heart of the campus between
Bristo Square and George Square. Whether you’re looking for a reminder of your
time here or a gift for family or friends, there is something for everyone, and the
friendly team are on hand to help. The Visitor Centre is open from 9:30am to 5:30pm
during Alumni Weekend. Please see: www.giftshop.ed.ac.uk/home.php
THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH CENTRE FOR SPORT & EXERCISE
The University’s Pleasance sports centre and gym boasts some of the finest sports
and fitness facilities in the country. Attending Alumni Weekend allows you to enjoy
free access to the ten world class gyms at the Pleasance, 5–7 June. Simply show your
Alumni Weekend ID to our reception staff. Please see:
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/sport-exercise/sports-centre/
about/overview
BLACKWELL’S BOOKSELLERS
Your alumni card entitles you to a 15% discount at Blackwell’s Booksellers, the leading
academic bookseller in the UK. In addition to their South Bridge shop, Blackwell’s
will have a pop-up shop at King’s Buildings campus during Alumni Weekend. Please
see: www.ed.ac.uk/alumni/services/benefits/discounts/blackwells
FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Filming and photography by University representatives will take place throughout Alumni
Weekend and this may be used in print and digital materials for the University of Edinburgh.
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
For medical assistance during AlumniWeekend, please alert any member of University staff.
For enquiries please
contact us at
[email protected]
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CONTACT US
Development and Alumni
Tel 0131 650 2240
Email [email protected]
The University of Edinburgh
Charles Stewart House
9-16 Chambers Street
Edinburgh EH1 1HT
www.ed.ac.uk/alumni