University Of Derby To Celebrate 20th Birthday With Graduate Reunion
16 February 2012
The Graduate Club
Kedleston Road site pre -1995
Kedleston Road as it is today.
Graduates from the University of Derby are being encouraged to clear their diaries on Saturday June 23, to make way for the '20 Year Graduate Reunion', an event being organised by the University's alumni relations team to mark its 20th birthday.
Being held at the University's Kedleston Road site, the reunion is open to graduates from 1992, the year Derbyshire College of Higher Education became the University of Derby, and will provide guests young and old(er) with a fantastic social and networking opportunity.
To support the reunion a specially commissioned website, Hive Derby, www.hivederby.com, has been launched. Designed to act as a virtual information hub, graduates can join Hive Derby to reconnect with the University and old friends straight away; whilst also being kept up to date with details of the reunion and alumni news.
Adam Buss, BA (Hons) Film and Television Studies with Theatre Studies (Joint Honours) graduate; has joined Hive Derby. He said: "I've joined Hive Derby as it's a great portal for keeping in touch and more importantly making contact with old friends.
"It's also a great opportunity to network on a professional level in a way that other more general social networks don't allow, because we're all coming from a shared place." Adam graduated in 2000 and is now the Deputy Director of QUAD, Derby.
Laura Ratcliffe, Alumni Relations Officer at the University of Derby, said: "We're delighted to be celebrating the University's 20th birthday this year and wanted to mark the occasion with an event that involved those who have been at the heart of the University over the last two decades; our graduates.
"Now Hive Derby is live our next step is letting as many Derby graduates as possible know about it and our reunion event. Whilst many still live in the Midlands, we also know that we have graduates spread across the UK and even further afield, so if you are one; or know someone that is; please help us to spread the word."
The Hive Derby concept is simple; graduates upload their photographs to the website and complete a short form providing information on what course they studied, when they graduated and what they are doing now.
Each graduate is then given their own 'honeycomb' and as the number of graduates joining the Hive grows, so does the site - just like a real beehive.
Professor John Coyne, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, added: "2012 may be the year for huge royal and sporting celebrations in the UK, but for us the most important event is our reunion. Bringing 20 years of graduates together, discovering what paths they've chosen to follow in life and what they have achieved since graduating from here is going to be a very proud and memorable occasion for everyone involved."
If you're a University of Derby graduate, or know someone who is, and would like to reconnect with the University, old friends or find out more about the '20 Year Graduate Reunion', join Hive Derby at www.hivederby.com. You can also 'Like' Hive Derby on Facebook or follow on @HiveDerby on Twitter.
In addition to the launch of Hive Derby, the alumni relations team is also appealing for graduates or former University of Derby staff to send in old photos of their time spent at the University, along with memories of what it was like to study and work there.
These can be emailed to l.ratcliffe@derby.ac.uk or posted to Laura Ratcliffe, Marketing Department, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB.
Please note the year in which the photograph was taken, if known, and the names of the people in it. Unfortunately photographs cannot be returned.
For more information please contact Deputy Head of Corporate Relations Rosie Marshalsay on 01332 591942 or 07920 235 586, or email R.Marshalsay@derby.ac.uk
