An international wave

Former Oxford Brookes students from around the world have been meeting for 150^th anniversary reunions to form an international ‘wave’.

This month the wave reaches China, Malaysia and Singapore, with receptions hosted by Vice-Chancellor Alistair Fitt, starting on 14 August in Beijing. This will be followed in September by an Australian reunion with Sue Holmes, Estates and Facilities Director, in Sydney. Each event is an opportunity for alumni to network, hear about the University’s latest developments and plans for the future, and of course join in anniversary celebrations.

China has the largest number of current students at Brookes (191 in 2014/15), followed by the USA (103) and Norway (95). Norwegian students have been coming to Brookes for a long time, with links to the School of Architecture going back to the 1950s. Gunnar Aaserud, who came from Norway to study architecture in the 1970s, shared his memories on our anniversary timeline. Norway had its alumni reunion in Oslo in July, and events have taken place in the USA, Hong Kong, France, Belgium and Turkey. You can browse photographs from each of these reunions in our online gallery. 

Overall 19% of Brookes students last year were from outside the UK, representing more than 130 countries. In addition to students travelling to Oxford to study, a partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has seen more than 20,000 students graduate in countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Malaysia, China and many African countries.

Students can also study abroad for part of their course at Brookes. There are exchange agreements with over 100 institutions in 33 countries including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Thailand, the United States, Uruguay and most of Europe. As far back as 1955, an Oxford Schools of Technology, Art and Commerce student used a £300 scholarship to travel to Scandinavia and study furniture-making techniques, and spoke to the local press on his return. 

International wave events in the UK have included a London HND Hotel and Catering 40th reunion and a Westminster College 50th reunion. This September we will also be welcoming alumni back on campus for two special anniversary events: a Commemorative Event on 11 September for former students of our predecessor institutions from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and a Reminiscence Ball for all alumni on 26 September. 

You can find details of past and future international wave events on our interactive map. As the anniversary year progresses this will continue to be updated with new events and photographs.