Published:
Heriot-Watt's Alumni Team recently welcomed alumni from across the world to its Edinburgh Campus.
Two special class reunions were held with graduates travelling from as far as Australia, USA, Norway and Dubai, plus closer to home in the UK.
25th Reunion – Class of 1997 in Electric & Electronic Engineering
To kick things off, there was a trip down memory lane for the Electric & Electronic Engineering Class of 1997. The first stop of the day was in the Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh West, where the group caught up on the last two decades over lunch, before learning about the developments on campus - including exploring Oriam, Scotland's National Performance Centre, returning to the halls of residence and the sunken garden. They also enjoyed a trip around the Earl Mountbatten Building where most of their lectures were held, especially the upgraded the computer room where they had spent many hours working on their dissertations.
Led by Professor David Lane CBE, the class enjoyed a virtual tour of the soon-to-be-completed National Robotarium, after which they were given a live demonstration of some of the robots in action. Professor Lane also discussed the heritage of the University, including its positive impact on society before hearing where the alumni's successful careers had taken them since graduating.
Luke Donnelly, former Student Union President, said: “As one of the organisers of this reunion, it was a pleasure to work with the Alumni Team on making this event happen and it was very special to be part of such a memorable reunion for the Class of ‘97.
"On top of the fantastic benefit of being able to catch up over lunch with old friends and course mates, the Alumni Team helped us create a memorable day, with a fabulous campus tour and an inspirational presentation from one of our former professors, capped off with a drink in the Union.”
50th Reunion - Class of 1972 in Civil Engineering
Later, there was another special reunion for alumni who graduated from the Civil Engineering Class of 1972. Notably, it was also the first visit to the Edinburgh Campus for most of the class, as they had studied in Chamber Street, Edinburgh.
Many of the alumni had sadly lost contact with each other since graduating, but it was not long before they began to reminisce together. One alumnus even brought his original matriculation card and graduation ceremony programme – some real-life historic documentation.
The visit started at Oriam, with an exclusive tour by Dan Potter, Sports Union President and Ben Graham, Sports Union Administration (Club Development).
Later, they visited the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) where Professors Ian Smith and Demitrios Cotsovos showed them the labs and workshops, and informed them about current teaching practices. It was extra special as Professor Smith's father had originally taught this group. This was then followed by a tour of the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Scotland Museum, by Professor David McGuigan, Chairman and Secretary of the Museum Committee and Curator.
Norman Buchanan, Civil Engineering, Class of 1972 alumnus, said: “It was a great pleasure to reconnect with former alumni who participated in the same Civil Engineering course, whose features may have changed slightly given 50 years have passed since graduation.
"What I did notice was that none of them had lost their sharpness or witty repartee during the many stops along the tour.”
For more information on Heriot-Watt Reunions, please visit Our Alumni.