Posted Monday 11 November 2019
We celebrated the first-ever Kingston is Global reunion day on Thursday 7 November 2019 with alumni reunions taking place around the world in America, Australia, Botswana, Cyprus, Canada, Greece, Grenada, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Pakistan, Spain, Nigeria, and of course Kingston.
The success of this global event was thanks to the incredible support from Kingston alumni across the globe, volunteering to host a reunion in their local city. Over 300 alumni registered for Kingston is Global reunions, to come together and meet old friends, make new social and professional connections in their city, and share memories of Kingston.
The celebrations kicked off with our first reunion of the day in Sydney hosted by estate management alumnus, Guy Glenny, at the Radisson Blu Hotel. Business studies alumna Claire Bunyon shared on LinkedIn: "Due to our time zone I think we were one of the first to celebrate. So wonderful to meet other alumni who have decided to call Australia home".
In Abuja, reunion host mechanical engineering alumnus, Martins Iwuchuku, notched celebrations up a level with live music from local artist @TheAfroLucy. The Athens reunion was hosted by biomedical science alumna, Maria Zoupa, at Café Merlin in the B&M Theocharakis Foundation, with special thanks to our honorary graduate, Mr Basil Theocharakis.
In Kingston upon Thames, alumni gathered at The Bishop pub for a relaxed evening along the River Thames. Aerospace engineering alumnus Patrick Tatarian enjoyed the opportunity to catch-up. "I loved being at Kingston, and it's been great to come back and chat to different Kingston alumni about the University and what we are all doing now."
In fact, pubs were quite a popular venue choice with the Madrid reunion taking place at The Irish Rover and the Tokyo reunion at The Rose and Crown, Yurakucho.
At the Toronto reunion, it was a chance to meet all new faces, which host Lash Bhogal summed up perfectly on LinkedIn: "Celebrating Kingston University global reunion day! The spirit of this amazing university bringing us together for a great night out".
This Kingston is Global day closed with our Los Angeles reunion at the Wurstkuche restaurant hosted by MBA alumnus Jon Warner. 3D design alumnus James Farnell captured the mood on Twitter: "Good to connect and share stories with some fellow Kingstonian alumni tonight in Los Angeles".
In addition to the 15 reunions on Kingston is Global day, a reunion also took place in Doha, Qatar earlier in the month.
Head of Alumni and Supporter Engagement, Janice Larden-Price, shared her thanks to everyone who participated in the initiative. "Our alumni volunteers are at the heart of this initiative, we have been overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and support. It has been a fantastic inaugural Kingston is Global, enjoyed by hundreds of Kingston alumni all over the world. We are already looking to build on this success for Kingston is Global 2020."
We would like to give a special thank you to each of our Kingston alumni hosts, for their energy, enthusiasm and commitment to Kingston is Global:
Chrisantia Bartley, LLB Law (Kingston, Jamaica); Lashman Bhogal, BSc Computer Information Systems Design (Toronto); Alan Clayton, BA Business Studies (Cork); Guy Glenny, Diploma Estate Management (Sydney); Kayo Hasegawa, MA Curating Contemporary Design (Tokyo); Martins Iwuchuku, BEng Mechanical Engineering (Abuja); Rita Joseph-Olivetti, BA Law (Saint George's, Grenada); Asif Nazir Khan, BA Accounting and Finance (Lahore); Paraskevoula Loizou, MBA Business Administration, BA Business Studies (Nicosia); Alejandro Sanchez, MSc Networking & Data Communications with Management Studies (Madrid); Kaone Roberts, BSc Geographical Information Systems with Business (Gaborone); Shahzada Danyal Sultan, MSc Structural Design and Construction Management (Doha); Jon Warner, MBA Business Administration (Los Angeles); Debora Wenger, PhD Arts & Social Sciences (Oxford, Mississippi); Maria Zoupa, BSc Biomedical Science (Athens).
If you would like to host a Kingston is Global reunion in your local city in 2020, please register your interest at alumni@kingston.ac.uk.
To ensure you receive an invitation to a reunion in your local region for Kingston is Global 2020, please update your details via alumni@kingston.ac.uk.
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