Alumni Services

Presiding Officer to address alumni meeting

Ken Macintosh, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, will be the guest speaker at an event that gives alumni the opportunity to be briefed on developments at the University.

Ken Macintosh MSP
Ken Macintosh MSP

The General Council Meeting and Lunch will take place on Saturday, 18 February at 10am, with all alumni invited to attend.

Varied career

Mr Macintosh, whose parliamentary career began in 1999 when he was elected as a Labour MSP, will discuss his whole career.  Particular emphasis will be on his current role as Presiding Officer, a position which is similar to the Speaker of the House Commons and requires him to maintain order in an often passionate environment.

In a varied career, Mr Macintosh was also a television producer for the BBC News Network 1987 to 1999 and worked on Breakfast with Frost, Breakfast News and the Nine O’Clock News. He also worked as a researcher on election programmes for both David Dimbleby and Jonathan Dimbleby.

We are delighted that Ken Macintosh will be speaking at the General Council Meeting and Lunch. His career and role in the Scottish Parliament will make for a stimulating and engaging speech that I am sure our alumni will enjoy.

Mike MitchellSecretary of The General Council

The Principal

Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation
Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation

The event will also be the last time that Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal of the University, addresses the General Council, in advance of his demitting office later this year. Sir Timothy will present the Annual Review and discuss major developments at the University during his time as Principal.

The half-yearly meeting will once again take place in the impressive Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) on Infirmary Street. This will be followed by a reception and lunch in the iconic Playfair Library in Old College.

Online questions

If you cannot attend the meeting in person, you can still take part. Online questions are invited by email to: generalcouncilquestions@hotmail.co.uk and highlights of both the morning meeting and the after-lunch talk will be available to view on the General Council website. 

Related links

Book your place at the event

The General Council