His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Sharjah with the Vice Chancellor Steve Smith and guests make their way to annual dinner.
Dinner cements friendships
More than 100 guests attended the fourth annual University of Exeter Gulf Alumni Dinner.
The event was hosted by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Sharjah, at the Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies, in Sharjah, on March 4 2010.
Professor Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University, addressed and thanked alumni for their support of the University. A number of alumni had travelled from far and wide to attend the event, including from Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The University of Exeter has longstanding links with the Gulf, with more than 550 alumni in the region. His Highness, who received his doctorate from Exeter, has provided major and continued support for the University. He is the founding member of the University of Exeter College of Benefactors, which recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to the University.
At the dinner, Professor Steve Smith announced the launch of the University's £23 million campaign, Creating a world-class University together.
Professor Steve Smith, who is also the current President of Universities UK, says: ‘It was an enormous pleasure to return to Sharjah and to be among some of our closest friends once again. I would like to thank His Highness for his generous hospitality and thank all our alumni for attending the dinner. The fact that the dinner has been held for four years in a row clearly states the strong alumni friendships that Exeter has in the Gulf.’
Prior to arriving in the Gulf, Professor Steve Smith and a senior delegation from the University visited India. This was the first senior delegation from Exeter to visit the country. During the visit, Professor Smith met with Kapil Sibal, India’s Human Resources Minister, and also with the Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to explore future developments and partnerships.
The University has more than 70,000 alumni living in 172 countries. Alumni are entitled to a range of benefits and services, from invitations to events and networking opportunities. There are now 35 alumni country contacts around the world, who organise activities for alumni in their region.
Exeter is investing in services for its global alumni network. In the last month, the university re-launched its alumni website with an exclusive online community and an Exeter Email for Life service to help alumni network socially and professionally.
Date: 9 March 2010
