We’re proud to have a truly global and multi-cultural alumni community with over 30,000 alumni in 175+ countries.
Wherever you are in the world there is likely to be a fellow graduate nearby. With alumni associations in 15 countries, our global alumni have been busy connecting online and in-person over the past 12 months. With new groups launching in 2022 and continued activity from our established associations, this year has been a fantastic time for our international alumni whose passion for Brunel has seen plenty of activities, social gatherings and new friendships made. Here are a few highlights from this year.
Singapore alumni association
For their continued commitment, this year our Singapore group was recognised with our first Alumni Association of the Year Award. Formed in December 2015, the association is made up of a truly diverse group. Chris Pardey leads the association and ensures that members meet regularly, maintaining their connection through numerous in-country COVID-19 lockdowns and offering worldwide placement opportunities to Brunel students.
This year, members have met for food and drinks social gatherings, attended a prestigious event hosted by the British Council, and are keen to catch a Singapore Premier League football match at a local stadium very soon. The group have also launched a brand-new podcast series; hosted by alumnus Neville J Mckenzie, episodes feature alumnus Laurence Barrett chatting about his journey from Engineer to aerospace CEO and Founder, plus alumnus Mario Ferraro talking about using physics to manage global talent.
Nigeria alumni association
Launched in January 2022, our Nigeria group is one of our newest alumni associations. Members held their first online event in March 2022 which included talks from our alumni Afam Itcha-Ituma (Vice-Chancellor at Coal City University) and Mary-Jane Sule (Research Fellow at Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics. Since then, the group have supported two recruitment fairs and were delighted to be able to host their first in-person gathering in October 2022. Nearly 30 alumni joined the reunion in Abuja for a joyful gathering of making new friends, singing songs, and sharing Brunel memories, including which accommodation was the best on campus! Moving forwards, our Nigerian alumni association will be exploring the launch of career development and charitable activities, alongside continuing their social events.
China alumni association
Our newly formed China association have gone from strength to strength this year. A vibrant WeChat page has been launched for the group to stay in touch and includes various alumni articles and stories written, collated and translated by our content creator and current PhD researcher, Zack Cui. The group also hosted an online gathering for members, led by alumnus Danqing in Shanghai. To join the WeChat Page, search for the subscription account “布鲁内尔校友会” in WeChat and select to follow it.
Saudi Arabia alumni association
With over 500 Brunel alumni living in Saudi Arabia, the alumni association led by Zahra Khan, has gone from strength to strength, with a focus on offering personal networking and opportunities career growth. This year, group member Dr Soliman Almadi was named as our International Alumnus of the Year at our 2022 Alumni Awards for his contributions to technology innovation.
The association have hosted various social gatherings, arts sessions, and talks. In September 2022, group member Palavi Khan hosted an event, now available on YouTube, about the changing culture within Saudi Arabia and her present-day experiences. In December 2022, the group met in Riyadh for lunch and a session from a kindness speaker, sharing how kindness can lead to success at work.
Bahrain (PhD without residence) alumni association
Our Bahrain alumni association from Ahlia University recently marked their 15-year anniversary by hosting a celebratory event for members. The group also took time to celebrate their longstanding partnership with Brunel by hosting a ‘Sustainable Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement’ event. With this, they celebrated 10 alumni who have achieved exceptional successes since graduating.
Oman alumni association
Our newly-formed Oman association hosted their first gathering in March 2022, bringing Brunel graduates together for a presentation, casual debate and to reminisce in the presence of a fantastic new e-car, designed and built by alumnus Haider Alzaabi. In May 2022, members met once again for a strategy meeting to discuss the groups plans for the future.
Jordan alumni association
Great to see our Jordan association gathering for a reunion dinner in August 2022 and enjoying networking, presentations and coaching sessions. The group also formed their own advisory board with nine volunteers to strengthen ties between their alumni members and Brunel. The event was sponsored by the Knowledge Well Corporation who are celebrating their 15th anniversary and were represented by its CEO, Dr Ziad Hunaiti, who is also a Brunel alumnus. This year we were also pleased to share an article about career successes within our Jordan association, showcasing the journey of Dr Mutaz Al Debei (PhD Information Systems and Computing, 2010) and Luma Al Adnani (MA International Journalism, 2010) since leaving Brunel.
India alumni association
Our India associations have been busy hosting alumni events across three cities including Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai. Having formed in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, this was a very exciting opportunity for our alumni to meet in-person for the first time. We were also delighted that five of our alumni in Delhi had the opportunity to attend The Brunel Kingdom Agent and Counsellor Awards 2022 evening, hosted by Brunel and the Brunel Pathways College. This event thanks Brunel’s recruitment partners based in India for all their hard work after a challenging two years.
UAE alumni association
Great to see our UAE association gathering for two in-person events this year. In April 2022 the group hosted their launch event with drinks in a local café. In October 2022, the group met at a restaurant for drinks and dinner and to plan future activities in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Pakistan alumni association
Our Pakistan association kickstarted the year by hosting an alumni reunion dinner in January 2022 followed by a reunion breakfast meeting in February 2022. With an active WhatsApp group of over 150 alumni, the Pakistan Alumni Association provides a great place for alumni to connect.
Visiting our alumni in Greece and Turkey
Travel is slowly back on the radar for Brunel, and we’re delighted to have had the opportunity to visit our alumni in Greece and Turkey for events this year.
In Greece, we hosted an event in Athens for alumni and prospective students in June 2022, reconnecting with a range of graduates from 1991 to 2021, and featuring a session from Brunel’s Professor Alexandra Xanthaki; the first Greek United Nations Special Rapporteur who chatted about cultural rights and diversity. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet our alumni living in Greece and reminisce about all things Brunel.
In November 2022, we were thrilled to host our first alumni reunion events in Turkey. First up was Istanbul, where 30 wonderful guests joined us to share their Brunel memories and make new connections.
This was followed by an event in Ankara, where 10 alumni joined us to reminisce about their student days and good times in London. We love hearing about the stories and fun our alumni had whilst studying at Brunel!
Keen to join or start an alumni association in your country?
Wherever you’re based in the world, we’re committed to providing our graduates with the opportunity to stay connected to Brunel and your fellow alumni. Why not join or start an alumni association in your country?