Imperial alumni gather in India

Imperial alumni across India gathered for receptions hosted by President & Rector Sir Keith O’Nions at the start of January.

At events in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore around 140 alumni met old and new friends and received updates from Sir Keith on the College’s current and future priorities.

Giving guests a warm welcome at the first reunion in Mumbai on Monday 7 January he said: “It is a real pleasure to be back in India again this year – Imperial College is very proud to have such a distinguished group of alumni across the country, and it is wonderful to have the opportunity to catch up with the exciting things they are doing with their lives. Each time I visit India, I am struck by the tremendous strength of the alumni network, and the close-knit community that our alumni have forged with one another.”

During his week-long visit to the country Sir Keith also launched new Imperial scholarships for Indian students, met with some of the College’s key business and industry partners, delivered a keynote speech at a British Council/UNESCO global forum on Maths and Science teaching in Schools, and took part in a conference on climate change to which alumni were also welcomed. The conference, “Understanding Climate Change - Working together to meet the challenge”, was jointly organised by the Divecha Centre for Climate Change, which is part of the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, and Imperial’s Grantham Institute for Climate Change, which both enjoy funding from the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment,

Dr Simon Buckle, Pro Rector International, who accompanied the President on the visit to India, said of the Climate Change conference, “In order to meet the challenges we face from climate variability and change, we will need to develop and accelerate the deployment of new low-carbon technologies such as solar PV, as well as increasing the resilience of our societies. Universities have a key role to play – working together to address societal needs in partnership with business and government. This conference, building on the collaborative activities of our institutes, demonstrates the value of harnessing the best research to inform decision making around climate and other global environmental change.”

Alumni anecdotes

Alumni attending the reunions across India enjoyed sharing memories of their experiences at Imperial and updating each other on their achievements since graduation.

Priyanka Talwalkar who completed an MSc from Imperial College Business School in 2008, and now works for one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, explained why she was keen to attend the Mumbai reunion on 7 January:

“As well as giving me the opportunity to catch up with my friends and peers, the event offers the chance to meet Imperial alumni across many generations, some of whom I see as potential mentors for me. I was also keen to hear news from the College which is important to me as Imperial has played such a prominent role in my life. I am really enjoying my career so far, and I feel incredibly thankful to Imperial for helping me to get where I am.”

Dr Pranabananda Bharali, who achieved an MSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Imperial in 1960, followed by his PhD in 1963, attended the Delhi reunion on Tuesday 8 January with his wife Gita. He had recently, on 3 January, celebrated 50 years since his PhD Viva at Imperial, and remarked that he could remember it “as vividly as if it were yesterday – it was one of the best moments of my life!”

The final alumni reunion took place in Bangalore on Friday 11 January. Dr Barbara Shaw, who gained a PhD in Biochemistry in 1977, described how Imperial had played a large role in her family life. She met her husband Nicholas Shaw at the College whilst he was studying for an MSc in Rock Mechanics - they were wardens together, keeping order in Bernard Sunley Hall at Evelyn Gardens. Continuing the family tradition, their son also came to Imperial and is a current medical student. When visiting him recently, Barbara stayed in Southside Hall, experiencing first-hand the changes to Imperial accommodation since her own student days. “The halls are much more modern these days,” she commented.