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UEL alumni look to East London future at business networking event

Monday 20 February 2006

Local graduates gathered at the University of East London’s Docklands Campus on Tuesday 31st January, as UEL held its first ever alumni business networking event.

The event gave former UEL students the opportunity to learn about new business opportunities in East London, as well as to informally chat, network, and build business contacts. Recent graduates were also able to learn more about UEL’s Alumni Network and the varied services it offers, including regular newsletters, reunions, and expert careers advice.

Alison White, Thames Gateway Programme Manager for the East London Business Alliance (ELBA), delivered the evening's key presentation, focusing on the regeneration of East London and the Thames Gateway region and discussing opportunities for graduates to get involved.

Alison said: “We at ELBA believe that UEL is in a unique position, right at the heart of the Thames Gateway and has a vital role to play in the regeneration of the region. I urge all of you to keep your eyes open for the ever-expanding opportunities to help our community and your own careers develop in tandem.”

In his welcoming speech, Jonathan Swan, a UEL Governor and Director of Training at Operis Ltd, a leading financial modelling consultancy, said: “It’s very easy to lose touch with your old university, so it’s wonderful to see so many of you back here this evening, swapping stories and advice and seeing for yourselves the fantastic developments that have been taking place at UEL in recent years.

“Tremendous home-grown talent abounds in East London, and I very much hope all of you leave here tonight with renewed confidence and a reinvigorated sense of what we can all achieve by working together.”

Sean Kerrigan, who graduated from the North-East London Polytechnic (now UEL) in 1981, is now working as an independent financial advisor. Sean said: “I really enjoyed the evening and was pleasantly surprised by how open and forthcoming everybody was. I didn't expect to stay to the end but I did!” 

Emma Cale, Development and Alumni Officer at UEL, added: “It’s great that our first networking event has been such a success. Many of our alumni are interested in developing their own business ideas and it was a great opportunity for them to meet other people, hear about what’s going on in the local area and make new contacts, as well as have an enjoyable social evening".

Graduates of UEL and its predecessor institutions go on to work in a wide range of fields. High-profile alumni include film director Ken Russell, government Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong MP, Mark Frith, editor of Heat magazine, human rights lawyer Imran Khan, CNN Anchor Daljit Dhaliwal, Turner prize artists Rachel Whiteread and Jake Chapman, Laxey Chairman Colin Kingsnorth, Molex Inc president Martin Slark, the late Ian Dury and many more.

For further information on the UEL Alumni Network and upcoming events, contact Emma Cale on 020 8223 2222 or e.cale@uel.ac.uk.

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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