17 Jun 08

More than 720 alumni and guests attended last year's Alumni Weekend

Oxford alumni from across the globe can secure their places for the University’s Alumni Weekend, between 19 and 21 September 2008, now online booking is live.

Former students worldwide have the opportunity to participate in ‘Meeting Minds – Global Oxford’. It is the second time that the University and colleges have collaborated to stage a major alumni event in the city and despite last year’s success, 2008’s event will be bigger and better.

The Vice-Chancellor, Dr John Hood, said: ‘This year’s three-day event is building on the success of last year’s University of Oxford Alumni Weekend. Over one-quarter of Oxford’s alumni are now overseas and so our second collegiate university reunion aims to reflect this international presence with its theme ‘Global Oxford’.

‘The event combines aspects of the well-established tradition of college reunions with a unique University-wide programme of 140 sessions including lectures, seminars, performances, visits, tours and Oxford hospitality with many of the University's leading academics and some of our best-known graduates.’

The Oxford Alumni Weekend was set up last year in direct response to calls by graduates around the world who expressed a desire to return to their University for a mix of social and educational events.

Nancy Kenny, Director of Alumni Relations, said: ‘Following the success of our first-ever collegiate Alumni Weekend last September, our 2008 ‘Meeting Minds’ event will showcase Oxford’s truly international reach by focusing on ‘Global Oxford’.

‘The 2008 Weekend will celebrate the part played by modern-day Oxford in the global community of the twenty-first century, focusing on how the University's research, teaching and alumni have fundamentally shaped the world we inhabit today.’

The programme includes an exclusive University of Oxford Question Time hosted by David Dimbleby; a debate on the challenges facing Europe with the Chancellor Lord Patten, Peter Mandelson and Dr Paul Flather, Secretary-General of the Europaeum; a lecture on Twentieth Century Battlefields by Peter Snow; memories of the Playhouse by Libby Purves and looking back on the Proms with Sir Nicholas Kenyon.

Other highlights include: travel writer and geographer Nick Middleton reflecting on his travels in some of the world’s most extreme environments and Oxford Earth Science experts Dr Simon Lamb, Prof Gideon Henderson and Dr Ros Rickaby talking about climate change.

Among the many tours and workshops will be the chance for alumni to see behind the scenes at old haunts from their student days - including the museums and the underground workings of the Bodleian Library - as well as beginners’ workshops in a variety of international languages from Greek to Chinese.