UniSA Alumni
SpiRit of Science - Maurice de Rohan Scholars 2011Alumni Europe arranged an iconic cultural itinerary for ten 16 year-old South Australian students and two teachers to experience London culture as part of their SpiRit of Science visit to the UK.
The SpiRit of Science: Maurice de Rohan Scholarships enable students in years 10 and 11 at South Australian schools to attend the Royal Institution of Great Britain's Christmas Lectures in London, a series of fun-filled science events for young people.
The 2011 Christmas Lecture series, entitled Meet Your Brain, featured experimental psychologist Professor Bruce Hood from the University of Bristol. Professor Hood's lectures "What's in your head?", "Who's in charge here anyway?" and "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" provided startling revelations about the subjective feeling of reality. The Lectures were televised on BBC 4 and are available on the RiGB website.
The students enjoyed cultural visits, including a Thames cruise, a visit to the Greenwich Maritime Museum, a tour of Lords Cricket Ground and a visit to the Tower of London for the Ceremony of the Keys, a 700 year tradition of locking up the Tower every night. Alumni Secretary, Di Tofts, also arranged a visit to the Florence Nightingale Museum. Alumni President, Dennis Muirhead, accompanied the students on the visits and lectures and was accompanied by Committee member Patrick Khoo at Lords.
On Thursday evening 1st December 2011 the South Australian Universities Alumni Europe
revived the free Alumni Christmas Party. It was held for the first time in the Downer Room at Australia House, hosted by the Office
of the Agent General and organised by Committee Members Amy Lunn and
Sonja Townsend.
The event was very well attended, with nearly 100 alumni treated to an evening of great conversation. Old friends were reunited, new friendships kindled and Adelaidian adventures recounted. It was a chance to reconnect with our old members, many who had not attended an event for several years, and meet newly arrived alumni. Vili's pies were the highlight of the night, being devoured faster than they could be heated. South Australian wine and Coopers Ale also featured, while Australian Christmas music played in the background.
Matt Johnson, the Deputy Agent General and Dennis Muirhead, President of the Alumni, welcomed guests and reminded them of links to SA, the venue it's self being named after a South Australian. Raffle tickets were popular with prizes on the night including bottles of South Australian wine and Coopers Pale Ale. 2012 will be an exciting time with events including a wine tasting, quiz night and jazz concert planned, and due to the 2011 success, the Christmas party will return as an annual event.
Graduates enjoyed an outstanding night, catching up with classmates and wine tasting at the Saatchi Gallery on 12 September. Acclaimed and influential wine writer Matthew Jukes hosted the event with his usual flair and enthusiasm. To add an extra dimension, the theme for the night was one of the world's great wine regions, the Barossa and Eden valley districts of South Australia.
StudyAdelaide co-hosted a dinner for alumni from University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, Flinders University, TAFE SA and Adelaide High Schools at the Im Füchschen restaurant in Dusseldorf, Germany, on 18 November 2011.
The event enabled graduates to meet other former Adelaideans living in or travelling in Germany and to hear about the latest developments at universities in Adelaide.
Among the 19 guests were representatives from the University of South Australia, and the South Australian Universities Alumni Europe, together with six University of South Australia Alumni.
