2017 - Issue 9

The field of advancement in higher education is a varied and fulfilling one. Those of us working in it have the pleasure of connecting outstanding students and researchers with those who believe in their work and want to see its impact amplified.

More than 15,000 Edinburgh alumni live and work across mainland Europe. Many are part of active groups who come together for networking, social and academic events and maintain strong ties with the University.

Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert venue – St Cecilia’s Hall – has reopened after a two-year, £6.5 million redevelopment.

Alumni donations have been helping postgraduate history students become inspiring tutors to their undergraduate counterparts.

Autism spectrum disorders will be better understood thanks to a substantial investment from a US-based philanthropic foundation to the University of Edinburgh.

Ian Elgin was just 40 years old when he died following a short battle with a form of brain tumour known as glioblastoma. Following his death, his wife, Jillian, made a donation to brain cancer research at the University of Edinburgh to aid the search for a cure. Edinburgh Friends spoke with Jillian and cancer researcher Professor Steve Pollard.

Two students, Alexander Angelopoulos and Sam Kellerhals, are providing refugees with the means to contact family, as well as offering free access to education and information.

The University of Edinburgh is set to be a key partner in a major initiative that seeks to make Edinburgh and its surrounding region the European leader for applying data science to products and services.