Kingston University hosts global alumni reunions in 15 countries

Kingston University has organised the annual alumni reunions in 15 countries around the world, proving that Kingston really is global.

On November 7, hundreds of former Kingston University students met from Sydney to Toronto and from Tokyo to Jamaica for the #KingstonIsGlobal event, with the purpose of keeping old relationships alive and discovering new faces.

Rita Joseph-Olivetti, Law alumnus said: “Kingston is becoming more global, with the expansion of its areas of expertise and its improved facilities and outreach. In my time, 1977 to 79, apart from British students we had students from the Caribbean, Hong Kong and India. Here in Grenada I have met Kingston graduates, some are even from Scotland!”

Many of the alumni contacted to host the reunion this year had never joined these kind of events before, but felt honoured to be chosen by the university for the role.

Nigerian Mechanical Engineering alumnus Martins Iwuchuku, said that he is usually very shy but he could not refuse when the university offered him to host the event in a restaurant in Abuja.

Relations and Drama alumnus Marylyn said she immediately accepted the invitation from another KU student she met in Tokyo: “I already expected it was going to be fun. I got to meet former Kingston students and talk about what we studied and where we used to hang out.”

Usually the reunions are held in a hotel or a restaurant of the capital or main city of a certain country.

The most of the alumni present at the reunions believe that sharing their best memories of Kingston with new friends was one of the best parts of the event.

Rita Joseph-Olivetti said: “The thing I miss the most from Kingston University are my friends, the yearly law school pantomime and the homemade chicken and mushroom pie at the Penrhyn Road canteen. We won’t mention the lively debates in some of the tutorials as students grappled with sometimes complicated concepts of law and jurisprudence.”

Martins Iwuchuku said he misses the freedom that Kingston University gave him: “Especially the 24-hour library at Kingtson Hill. I practically spent my nights there.”

Marylyn misses the chance to meet people from her course and other courses almost every day. “That is something that doesn’t happen very often once you start working. I also miss my student life. And the riverside, of course!”

The other countries where Kingston Alumni reunions were held on November 7 are Kingston upon Thames, Mississippi, Los Angeles, Canada, Botswana, Australia, Jamaica, Spain, Pakistan and Cyprus.

Participants shared pictures of the event on social media with the hashtags #KingstonIsGlobal and #MadeInKingston.