Alumni
Events
You have access to a range of exclusive events arranged by the University of Leicester and your fellow alumni. Events are open to all alumni: groups and individuals, those who graduated many years ago or recently; you are all welcome at any one of our events.
As an alum you are invited to attend our events all year round. We aim to make any alumni visiting campus feel comfortable and are aware that the site may look different to the last time you visited. Our interactive map (flash) of the University of Leicester enables you to see each building on campus. Detailed information about the accessibility of each building can be found on the Disabled Go website.
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Upcoming alumni events
Festival of Change
Since launching the Festival of Change in October 2020, over 1,300 alumni from 28 countries have joined us for a Festival of Change event. With 91% of alumni saying that they would recommend the event to a friend, we want to let you know about our programme of exciting events we have coming up. Details subject to change.
To hear about when bookings open, ensure you are on our mailing list.
Festival of Change | Gestational diabetes and maternal health: building a healthier future
Date: Thursday 13 February 2025
Time: 6.00pm – 7.00pm (UK time)
Location: Microsoft Teams
This is a free event open to University of Leicester alumni.
Gestational diabetes, a condition that first appears during pregnancy and disappears after giving birth, is associated with an increased risk of physical and mental health related complications. In this talk, Dr Elpida Vounzoulaki will discuss how a diagnosis of gestational diabetes can be used as an opportunity to improve future health, based on the findings of her PhD research.
About the speaker
Dr Elpida Vounzoulaki is a Postdoctoral Epidemiologist at the Leicester Real World Evidence Unit, Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester. She has a solid background in clinical practice and research, having graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Nursing, an MSc in Medical Research, and a PhD in Diabetes Epidemiology. Her primary interests include cardiometabolic complications, women’s health conditions and real-world epidemiology.
Festival of Change | Fires, webs, and water cycle: researching the emotions of social justice work in the heritage sector
Date: Thursday 10 April 2025
Time: 6.00pm - 7.00pm (UK time)
Location: Microsoft Teams
This is a free event open to University of Leicester alumni.
Take a deep dive into how socially engaged professionals negotiate emotions and values in heritage institutions with Dr Holly Bee. Based on her PhD findings, Dr Bee will discuss the emotional experience of workplace change-making, recommendations for building empowering organisational cultures and creative research methods for exploring emotion with participants and ourselves.
About the speaker
Dr Holly Bee (she/her) is a feminist PhD researcher in the School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, and former co-editor-in-chief of Museological Review. She is interested in the intersections of identity, emotion, labour, and change-making and in using research to create a more just and compassionate society.
Festival of Change | From industry to academia: understanding gender in popular culture
Date: Thursday 12 June 2025
Time: 6.00pm – 7.00pm (UK time)
Location: Microsoft Teams
This is a free event open to University of Leicester alumni.
This talk will be about Dr Shirley Yang’s career journey from the creative industry to the University of Leicester for her PhD. She will share her transition from being a creator of mediated gender roles to exploring mediated gender roles as a researcher.
Shirley Yang holds a PhD in Media and Communication from the University of Leicester. Her research focuses on the studies of celebrity, feminism, intersectionality and digital activism. Prior to pursuing her Master’s degree in the UK (at the University of Leicester), she worked as a senior copywriter for a world-leading advertising agency in Shanghai, China.
Booking and further details to follow.
Festival of Change | What are the Origins of Towns and Cities with Dr Brandon Fathy
Date: Thursday 7 August 2025
Time: 6.00pm – 7.00pm (UK time)
Location: Microsoft Teams
This is a free event open to University of Leicester alumni.
Booking and further details to follow.
Festival of Change | Biomarkers for Stratifying Patients At Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death with Dr Gez Williams
Date: Thursday 9 October 2025
Time: 6.00pm – 7.00pm (UK time)
Location: Microsoft Teams
This is a free event open to University of Leicester alumni.
Booking and further details soon.
Alumni Awards Dinner
Date: Thursday 15 May 2025
Location: Middle Temple Hall, Middle Temple Ln, Temple, London, EC4Y 9BT
Early bird tickets are now on sale!
We only have a limited number of early bird tickets so make sure to book your tickets before it’s too late.
- Single ticket: £99.50
- Table of 10: £950
The Alumni Awards Dinner is an annual opportunity for alumni to come together and celebrate University and alumni achievements, recognise our Alumni Award winners, and thank alumni for their valued contributions to business, research and society.
Guests in attendance at the event will be treated to a welcome drinks reception, three-course meal accompanied by a highly anticipated awards presentation, an inspiring keynote speaker, followed by after dinner networking.
For any questions about the event, including requesting an official invitation letter for Visa applications, please contact alumni.events@le.ac.uk.
Refund requests can be submitted by emailing alumni.events@le.ac.uk. Please note that no refunds will be processed after Wednesday 30 April 2025.
About the venue
This year’s Dinner will be hosted in London at Middle Temple Hall which has a rich history, dating back to the 14th Century and is one of four Inns of Court to which all Barristers must belong. This spectacular venue is located in the heart of London and will provide a stunning backdrop for the evening’s festivities. Their award-winning gardens overlook the River Thames and the venue is surrounded by various secluded courtyards and beautiful buildings.
Celebrating 100 years of our Alumni Association
2025 is an extra special year as it marks 100 years since the Leicester Graduates’ Association - now known as the Alumni Association, which you are part of - was established. We hope that you can join us for our Alumni Awards Dinner in 2025 to celebrate the last century and raise a toast to the next 100 years of Leicester graduates.
Host a reunion and reconnect with old friends
This is a brilliant opportunity to get suited and booted and host a reunion of old friends. Tables of 10 are available for purchase, also at a discounted rate for a limited time. If you’ve lost touch with someone from your university days, get in touch with the Alumni Engagement Team by emailing alumni.relations@le.ac.uk and we might be able to reconnect you ahead of the event!
Sponsor our event
Learn more about sponsoring our Alumni Awards Dinner by contacting Kelly McCormack (km423@leicester.ac.uk).
Nominate someone for our 2025 Alumni Awards
Nominations are currently open for our 2025 Alumni Awards. You can nominate a Leicester alum for one of three awards:
- Dr Mark Sims Memorial Award for Public Service
- Alumnus/Alumna of the Year
- Future Leader Award
Please read the Alumni Awards criteria and guidelines carefully before making your nomination.
You can make a nomination for our 2025 awards via our online nomination form. Please read the Alumni Awards criteria and guidelines carefully before making your nomination.
Our 2024 Alumni Awards Dinner has already taken place and you can find out more about our Alumni Awards Dinner 2024 and our award winners on our website.
Annual Alumni Meeting
At the Annual Alumni Meeting, the Alumni Association Committee will report back to alumni on activities during the last 12 months, an update on philanthropic funds managed jointly by the University and Alumni Association Committee will be given, and alumni will be invited to vote on members of the Committee who are standing for re-election.
Outside of the formal agenda of the Annual Alumni Meeting, the meeting is a great opportunity to pose any questions they have to the Alumni Committee and/or Alumni Engagement Team.
We invite you to watch the previous Annual Alumni Meetings.
Our next Annual Alumni Meeting will be in Autumn 2025. For details or keep in the loop by ensuring you are on our mailing list.
Botanic Garden Festival
Our Botanic Garden Festival is a wonderful event which the University and Development and Alumni Relations Office host annually for our alumni students, staff and local community. The event is hosted in the University’s Botanic Gardens in Oadby in autumn.
The Botanic Garden Festival will be back in Autumn 2025. For details or keep in the loop by ensuring you are on our mailing list.
Leicester Festive Celebrations
Celebrate the festive period with your Leicester family and friends on Wednesday 11 December from 6.00pm – 7.00pm.
We will be hosting an online event to highlight the successes of 2024 and look forward to our exciting plans for the new year. Registration is open and free to all alumni, supporters, friends and family.
Join us to enjoy a live performance from our student choir, a summary of key events, milestones, and achievements from across the University and our alumni over the last year, culminating in an interactive festive quiz and a special announcement from our Alumni Association!
School of Chemistry Centenary Celebration
Date: Saturday 17 May 2025
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Location: University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH
Our School of Chemistry will be celebrating their centenary in 2025. The School invite their alumni community to celebrate the past 100 years with them on Saturday 17 May 2024.
This family friendly event is a brilliant chance to return to campus and catch up with old friends, whilst networking with the large community of current and past staff and students. The School will be hosting a range of free activities in the George Porter Building.
As part of the celebrations, alumni can make voluntary donations to the Chemistry Centenary Fund which will fund the School’s ‘Polymerise’ scheme, facilitating summer research internships. These internships aim to accelerate the careers of our chemistry students who are experiencing financial hardship and beyond.
Make a single gift to our appeal
We want participation from far and wide so you have any exciting ideas or would like to volunteer for a talk or lead an activity please let us know by emailing chemistrycentenary@leicester.ac.uk.
School of Physics and Astronomy Centenary Celebration
Date: Saturday 17 May 2025
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Location: University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH
Physics and Astronomy graduates from the University of Leicester are invited back to campus on Saturday 17 May 2025 to celebrate the centenary of our School of Physics and Astronomy.
The School will be turning 100 in 2025 and to celebrate, they’ll be hosting a day full of family friendly activities on campus. This is a wonderful opportunity to return to Leicester to catch up with old friends and colleagues, and learn more about the School’s achievements and community.
As part of the celebrations, alumni can make voluntary donations to the Physics Centenary Appeal, which will help us to honour the achievements of students, staff and alumni, and raise money to support continued, ground-breaking research and teaching excellence in the School.
Make a single gift to our appeal
If you have any questions or would like to contribute towards the celebration, please email alumni.events@le.ac.uk.
Solo visitor scheme
Are you attending an event alone? We want to ensure that our events are welcoming and accessible to all attendees and with this in mind, are launching a new solo visitor scheme. If you wish to attend an event as a solo visitor and would like to see a friendly face when you arrive, drop us an email in advance to alumni.relations@leicester.ac.uk and let us know you are attending. One of our friendly staff members will introduce themselves to you via email beforehand and be present at the event to greet you.