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Past events
This page reports on alumni events that have taken place in the last 12 months. To read about older events, please look at our Archive.
Zambia Sings... Edinburgh Business School Zambia Event
On Friday 18th November 2011, Edinburgh Business School welcomed over 300 of its students and alumni to a cocktail reception at the Intercontinental, Lusaka and what a superb evening it was!
EBS currently has 595 students and 231 graduates in Zambia and represents one of the fastest growing markets for EBS in the world. The Lusaka event was to allow students and graduates from across sub-Saharan Africa to get together, meet new friends, and re-connect with old ones and to enjoy a great networking opportunity.
EBS was thrilled to have six members of its staff at the reception and Professor Alex Scott; Deputy Director of EBS spoke of the energy and commitment of students across Africa and the warm welcome we had received since arriving in Zambia.
Eustace Bobo, EBS's Alumni Ambassador for Zambia spoke in an engaging and humorous way and asked people to participate and support the Zambia chapter. However, the best was saved to last when Sandford Mupanga, Executive Director of ZICAB, EBS's partner in Zambia took to the stage. Sandford thanked students and graduates and asked them to join him in a favourite hymn. The room was suddenly filled with the singing voices of 300 people and everyone's spirits were lifted sky high. A wonderful end to a wonderful evening.
Enjoy some of the pictures of the evening by clicking here.
Edinburgh Business School Sweden Alumni Club Event
On 9th November, Edinburgh Business School Alumni Club (Sweden) held its annual meeting at Executive Management Institute (ExMI), Danderyd, Sweden.
The evening was attended by fifteen Edinburgh Business School graduates and featured an address by Mr Mikael Jensen, CEO of ExMI and also by newly appointed Ambassador for the Swedish chapter of EBS Alumni, Mr Christer Colliander, who outlined his ideas and aspirations with regards to the local activities of the Alumni chapter.
Dr. Hans Björkman was also in attendance to deliver a seminar on how to stimulate creativity and the innovative processes within organisations, which was followed by a short practical exercise. The exercise not only helped to put seminar teachings into practice, but also helped participants to better know one another.
ExMI provided a buffet and a selection of wine, beer and non-alcoholic drinks for the attendees to enjoy throughout the evening.
Edinburgh Business School Nigeria Alumni Club Event
On October 2nd 2011, Edinburgh Business School's Nigeria alumni club held an event for alumni, and current and prospective students. The event took place at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel in Lagos and attracted around 50 guests.
After an address by Edinburgh Business School's alumni regional ambassador, Ayodele Amos Olujide, the club inducted new, recently graduated alumni with special 'handshake' mementoes as well as receiving their alumni badges.
And, after some information sessions, attendees were able to network with one another over a buffet dinner.
The Nigeria alumni club plan to hold further events in Port-Harcourt and Abuja in the near future.
Edinburgh Business School Goes To Switzerland, June 2011
Edinburgh Business School was delighted to welcome more than 140 alumni, students and guests to Les Trois Rois in Basel, Switzerland on Saturday 18th June 2011. Guests came from Germany, France, Italy and locally to enjoy a cocktail party at the beautiful Three Kings hotel overlooking the river Rhine.
It was the first occasion Edinburgh Business School has had to host one of their annual alumni events in Europe and the great attendance made it an evening full of good fun and networking opportunities. Edinburgh Business School's Business Director, Alick Kitchin, Director of Marketing, Sally MacLeod, Director of Quality and Standards, Moira Storey and DBA Senior Supervisor, John Simmons were in Basel to host the event.
Eric van Duijn, a graduate of Edinburgh Business School's MBA programme and the EBS alumni ambassador in Switzerland delivered an upbeat and humorous address to guests and encouraged them to participate and support the club as much as possible in order that it becomes a useful and active resource to all.
We were also delighted to welcome Professor Thomas Burgi, Director of FHNW, Basel and several members of FHNW staff to the party. FHNW is a long standing collaborative academic partner of Edinburgh Business School in Switzerland and an agreement has just been signed to extend their academic partnership to the development of a dual degree programme.
By chance, the event took place over ART Basel week and we were lucky enough to have the chance to take a wander around the show and see some wonderful modern art! Basel also has trams – they are efficient, clean and fast! We are currently building the tram network in Edinburgh and we live in hope that it's as good as the Swiss version!
You can view photos of the event by clicking here to visit our Flickr page.
Edinburgh Business School Dubai Event, 2011
(Top-Left image: The event was attended by Edinburgh Business School Staff (L-to-R: Shirin Jarrar, Sally MacLeod, Alick Kitchin, Marie-Betsy Sayegh Akl, Nathalie Farah (Top-Right image:) Edinburgh Business School's Business Director addresses the assembly.
(Bottom-Left image: Attendees at Edinburgh Business School's Dubai event. (Bottom-Right image:) Attendees at Edinburgh Business School's Dubai event take a break for lunch.
More than 200 alumni, students and guests met at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai on Saturday 7th May 2011 to enjoy lunch together. The bi-annual event, hosted by Edinburgh Business School for the third time was an opportunity for students and graduates from across the Middle East to get together and enjoy some informal networking over some tasty food and drinks.
Edinburgh Business School's Business Director, Alick Kitchin and Director of Marketing, Sally MacLeod were in Dubai to host the event with EBS MBA Programme Director, Dubai campus, Shirin Jarrar. Marie-Betsy Sayegh Akl, EBS's strategic partner in the Middle East and CEO of EBS Arab World was also there.
Mohannad Ghazaleh, a graduate of Edinburgh Business School's MBA programme shared with the audience how he had come to hear about EBS and how after a lot of heart searching he chose to study his MBA with EBS. He made the audience smile with his recollection of how hard the study had been, but how he was now reaping the rewards, having started up his own very successful business in the supply of eco-friendly industrial cleaning chemicals.
We were delighted that students and alumni had travelled from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Kuwait to attend the event; a real show of commitment towards the School and why it is so important for EBS to hold these more 'local' events closer to the homes of its graduates and students.
To view more photos taken at the event, please visit our Flickr group or Facebook page.
EBS graduation event in Singapore
Edinburgh Business School's Asia Director Sharah Tsui attended the Singapore graduation congregation event, which was organized by the EBS Approved Local Partner in Singapore, the EASB School of Management.
The event was held on 10 December 2010, a week later than the Heriot Watt University graduation event which was also held in Singapore. Later, after the graduation ceremony, graduates enjoyed a grand celebration dinner.
More than 500 guests and graduates from Edinburgh Business School, as well as EASB's other programme partners flew all the way from their home countries, such as China and India, to Singapore for the event.
(Published on 10 March 2011)
Heriot-Watt's inaugural graduation ceremony in Trinidad & Tobago
(Top-Left image: His Excellency, President George Maxwell Richards pictured with Professor Steve Chapman, Principal and Vice-President of Heriot Watt University, and Professor Keith Lumsden, founder of Edinburgh Business School. (Top-Right image:) The Graduation Ceremony gets underway.
(Bottom-Left image: Graduates celebrate their success. (Bottom-Right image:) Professor Keith Lumsden (right) pictured with DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) graduate Mpotu Abisaai Ralephata.
The inaugural graduation ceremony for Heriot-Watt University students in Trinidad & Tobago was held on 5 February 2011 at the Regency Hyatt Hotel in Trinidad.
Around 250 students graduated in a range of programmes from Edinburgh Business School, as well as Heriot-Watt University's School of the Built Environment and School of Management & Languages.
Programmes were all delivered through the University's two academic learning partners in Trinidad & Tobago: School of Higher Education and School of Business & Computer Science.
His Excellency, President George Maxwell Richards, attended the ceremony, as did Heriot Watt Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steve Chapman.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were Keith Lumsden, the founder of Edinburgh Business School; Morag Heggie, Director of Administration at Edinburgh Business School, and Shelley Denholm, student services advisor at Edinburgh Business School.
(Published on 28 February 2011)
Uganda EBS Alumni Club Holds Its First Event of the Year
(Top-Left image: Uganda EBS Alumni members register for the event. (Top-Right image:) Jean Katongole and team from MAT (Uganda)
(Bottom-Left & Bottom-Right images: Uganda EBS Alumni members enjoy the chance to network with peers.
Edinburgh Business School Alumni Club, Uganda got the year off to a great start by meeting up for cocktails at the Serena Hotel in Kampala on Monday 17th January.
EBS's Alumni Ambassador in Uganda, Enid Katorobo, organised and hosted the evening for 35 alumni and 3 members of the Management and Accountancy Training College (MAT Uganda) who is EBS's Approved Learning Partner in the region.
Alumni discussed the Club's plans for the year ahead and then heard a presentation from Mr Joseph S Kitamirike, CEO of Uganda Securities Exchange. Mr Kitamirike, gave an inspiring presentation entitled 'Understanding the Leader You Are'.
Enid hopes to arrange the next alumni meeting in September 2011.
To view all the photos from the event, please click here.
EBS officially launches the Edinburgh Business School Scholarship programme with Graça Machel
(Top-Left image:) Keith Lumsden with Mrs Graça Machel. (Top-right image:) From left-to-right: Mrs Clara Geraldina Cabral dos Santos Dimene; Ms Chipo Shonhiwa; Miss Martha Sambani; Mrs Graça Machel; Mrs Sinikiwe Sithole; Miss Samukeliso Khumalo.
(Bottom-left image:) From left-to-right: Mr David Noko; Mrs Graça Machel; Mrs Ruth Reid Lumsden; Professor Keith Lumsden; Ms Arlene Walsh. (Bottom-right image:) Mrs Graça Machel addresses the assembly.
On Wednesday 15th September, Edinburgh Business School, the Graduate School of Business of Heriot-Watt University, hosted an historic event at The Westcliff in Johannesburg to celebrate 20 years of delivering MBA education in South Africa and officially launched the Edinburgh Business School African Scholarship programme. Guests included Edinburgh Business School students and alumni from across Africa, the media, and African educationalists.
The guest of honour and keynote speaker was Mrs Graça Machel, who commended the Edinburgh Business School programme by saying:
"I would like to thank Edinburgh Business School for its support for women's education and leadership in Africa", "By providing access to distance learning MBAs, Edinburgh Business School is contributing to the development of entrepreneurialism at local level, something which is vital to the economic health of our continent"
Mrs Machel's Mentoring Programme will mentor several of the Edinburgh Business School scholars. Four scholars who are already on the programme - ; Martha Sambani from Malawi, Samukeliso Khumalo from Zimbabwe, Clara Dos Santos from Mozambique and Chipo Shonhiwa also from Zimbabwe all attended the event and spent some time talking with Mrs Machel.
David Noko and Arlene Walsh, two of Edinburgh Business School's prominent MBA graduates spoke and credited the MBA programme for the success in their careers to date. David Noko, former CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines, said how he went from being "an ordinary engineer" to an executive at De Beers due to the knowledge he attained from his MBA studies.
Professor Keith Lumsden, the creator and founder of Edinburgh Business School and its MBA programme talked about his desire to "establish an initiative to promote life-long learning across the African continent" and by doing so, "assist 250 scholars over the next 5 years to make a difference – not only to their own lives but to the wider communities around them".
For further information about the Edinburgh Business School Scholarship programme run in conjunction with the Canon Collins Trust please click here.
Brunch in Dubai
(Left: Shirin Jarrar (left) and Kristy Cassidy (right) with an EBS student. Right: Shirin Jarrar (Centre) with EBS students.
Edinburgh Business School, Dubai Campus hosted a brunch at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi on Saturday 19th June 2010 for alumni, students and prospective students.
Shirin Jarrar, MBA Programme Director in Dubai welcomed over 80 guests to the brunch where prospective students had a chance to ask Shirin and Student Services Advisor, Kristy Cassidy questions about the programme. Later, students, alumni and prospective students had a chance to mingle and chat whilst enjoying an informal buffet brunch.
Professor Keith Lumsden visits Toronto and New York
(The top-right image shows (from left to right) Craig Knowles, Ruth Reid Lumsden, Keith Lumsden, Rochelle Knowles and Robert Gillespie, the Chairman of Toronto Watt Club)
On a recent trip to North America, Professor Keith Lumsden, Director of Edinburgh Business School (EBS) was guest of honour at functions held in Toronto and New York for graduates and students.
Professor Lumsden outlined the development of the EBS MBA and the additional programmes now offered by the School. He spoke of how the EBS courses were centered on the philosophy that students learn not by hearing or seeing, but by doing. He also spoke of his empirical research that demonstrated how, regardless of resources available to students, ability was the main determinant of success.
These two elements led to the launch of the EBS distance learning MBA in 1989/90. By 1994 EBS was the largest MBA programme provider in Europe and by 1996 the largest in the United States of America.
Professor Lumsden also stressed the value of our student and graduate bodies, emphasising the fact that these groups were both avid supporters of EBS and its strongest ambassadors. EBS relies on its ambassadors for the word of mouth recommendations that our students and alumni make to their friends and colleagues.
The reception events also allowed everyone in attendance to mingle and network over drinks and canapés and we look forward to the next event.
