Edit Winter 2009

WINTER 09 The University of Edinburgh THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE INCLUDING BILLET & GENERAL COUNCIL PAPERS Alumnus of the Year 2008 Author Philippa Gregory returns to Edinburgh ALSO INSIDE Edit investigates the impact of the global Scot The University of Edinburgh Forever a part of it Your links with Edinburgh don’t end when you leave the University – you’re an Edinburgh alumnus for life – so stay in touch and reap the benefits! The Alumni Card What will it do for you? Have you got your new-look Alumni Card • Receive 15% off hire of University • Enjoy free access to the University’s yet? As an alumnus you are eligible for the venues, accommodation and catering many libraries and their printed new card, which replaces the Edinburgh for weddings, parties, meetings and, collections – as well as 50% off Passport and allows discounted access of course, reunions! borrowing rights. to many of the University’s outstanding • Enjoy a 25% discount at the • Receive a 20% discount on all books facilities. The card also entitles you to University’s Centre for Sports and published by Edinburgh University a new range of discounts with partner Exercise – one of the Scotsman’s Press. organisations worldwide. Sign up at top five gyms in Scotland – which Get discounted rates with our partners www.ed.ac.uk/alumni. • offers you a wealth of fitness in the hotel and leisure industry all over classes, training, gym support, the world. We will be adding to our list climbing facilities, a circuit gym, of partners on a regular basis, so make playing fields, an outdoor activity sure you visit www.ed.ac.uk/alumni AlumniThe University of Edinburgh centre on Loch Tay and much more! for the latest offers. 2008 A. Graduate Log on to www.ed.ac.uk/alumni and discover the lifelong 0123456789 advantages of being a University of Edinburgh alumnus! Contents Foreword New Year is a time of resolutions and reflections, and in this edition we report 12 on the University of Edinburgh General Council’s historic 150-year anniversary meeting in Washington DC (pages 8,16). We also preview Homecoming Scotland 2009, a year-long campaign to reconnect the Scottish emigrant population to their homeland (page 12), and put the spotlight on the University’s achievements over the past academic year in “Review of the Year” (page 14). For a more detailed account, visit www.ed.ac.uk/annual review. Also in this edition, two former students reminisce over their time at university in our 22 26 2 new “My Edinburgh” feature (page 22), and we join Professor Colin Nicholson in conversation with Alumnus of the Year 2008, author Philippa Gregory (page 10). Features With best wishes for the New Year. 8 One Man’s Mission Young P Dawkins III We meet retired astronaut and honorary graduate Neil Armstrong Vice-Principal, Development 10 Queen of Scots Voting Papers for the election of the General Council’s Assessor and Members of the Business Committee are enclosed. Professor Colin Nicholson talks to author Philippa Gregory, the University’s Alumnus of the Year 2008 Publisher Barbara Laing ([email protected]) 12 Making their Mark Communications and Marketing, The University of Edinburgh Centre, 7–11 Nicolson Street, As Homecoming Scotland 2009 kicks off, a new University Edinburgh EH8 9BE research centre investigates the impact of the global Scot Design Freight Design 0141 552 5303 14 Review of the Year 2007/08 Cover Photography Philippa Gregory © HarperCollins A snapshot of the past academic year Printing J Thomson Colour Printers Mailing Services Capital Communications Advertising Enquiries Landmark Publishing Services 0207 692 9292 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publishers. Edit is printed on environment-friendly, Forestry Stewardship Council-accredited paper. Edit, the University of Edinburgh’s magazine, is published twice a year. The views expressed in its columns are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those Regulars of the University. The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body registered 2 University News in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. 16 Alumni Network ON THE MOVE? If you have changed address please let us know. Contact Development 20 World Service & Alumni on +44 (0)131 650 2240 or email [email protected]. 22 My Edinburgh NEW! 24 Talbot Rice Gallery 26 Billet 2 The University of Edinburgh Edit Magazine University News HRH The Princess Royal marks beginning of £42 million Vet School development HRH The Princess Royal officially marked the start of work on the University’s multi-million pound development at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, in a recent tree-planting ceremony. The Princess Royal, who is the School’s centre equipped with scanners for Patron, planted the tree at the Easter animals and radiotherapy equipment. Bush site, which is to be transformed A 10-year plan is also underway to over the next five years with work that rebuild the Hospital for Large Animals, will include a new £42 million building and relocate it alongside the Hospital to house the Vet School. for Small Animals. The three-storey building for some Professor Elaine Watson, Head of the 1,200 students and staff will contain Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary state-of-the-art lecture theatres, Studies, said: “We are delighted that seminar rooms and laboratories, and HRH The Princess Royal has been able will be located alongside the Hospital to mark this chapter in the School’s for Small Animals, aiding practical history. This is an exceptionally exciting teaching. time for the School, with the new It will form part of a wider £100 million building and developments on the development on the site, which will Easter Bush site keeping us at the HRH The Princess Royal inspects plans for the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary include a new research building for the forefront of veterinary medicine in both Studies Roslin Institute and a £3 million cancer teaching and research.” New Centre for Islamic Studies Principal takes up key JISC role The University of Edinburgh, the Britain. It will do so partly through University of Cambridge, and HRH educational outreach to policy-makers, Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Prince Alwaleed bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, students and the public. Principal of the University, is to lead Chairman of Kingdom Foundation, have the body that encourages innovative Professor Carole Hillenbrand, Head of announced plans to create two new use of information technologies in the Department of Islamic and Middle research centres for Islamic studies. universities. Eastern Studies at Edinburgh, said: “The Funded by a £16 million endowment by Centre will ensure Edinburgh’s place as He is to succeed Professor Sir Ron Prince Alwaleed, which will be shared a world-class resource for expertise on Cooke as the new chair of the Joint equally by the two universities, the new Islam in the modern world, with the twin Information Systems Committee centres will aim to carry out both emphases of its programme on both the (JISC) from 1 January 2009. research and public engagement past and the present, and on how they JISC supports a range of designed to enhance understanding reinforce and illuminate each other.” information and communication between the Muslim world and the West. The University of Edinburgh was technologies that support learning, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for recently placed top in the UK for teaching and research in the UK. It the Study of Islam in the Modern World, research on Islamic and Middle Eastern is best known for providing JANET – based at Edinburgh, aims to improve Studies, and has one of the largest a high-speed computer network for public knowledge and awareness of concentrations of expertise in Britain academics – as well as offering a Islamic civilisation and of Muslims in in this area. portfolio of high-quality resources. The University of Edinburgh Edit Magazine 3 For all the latest University news, visit: www.ed.ac.uk/news State-of-the-art Informatics Edinburgh ranks among world’s best Forum is officially opened The University has, for the second year running, been listed in the top Scottish First Minister 25 universities in the world. Alex Salmond opened the The Times Higher Education QS University’s Informatics Forum World University Rankings place Edinburgh 23rd, in the same position in an official ceremony. it achieved last year. The Forum brings together scientists Now in their fifth year, the rankings whose interests span virtual reality, list the top 200 universities in the robotics, artificial learning, intelligent world. Edinburgh is the only Scottish systems, computational linguistics and university and one of only six British bioinformatics. institutions to appear in the top 25. Built over six floors around a central “It is extremely gratifying to have held glass atrium, the 12,000m2 Forum has our position in the top 25 for the an open design to encourage interaction second year running against so and collaboration between researchers. The open design encourages interaction many top-quality institutions from and collaboration between researchers around the world,” said University This is intended to promote world-class Principal, Professor Sir Timothy research and underline the School’s fundraising donors are illuminated in O’Shea. “Indeed it is great to see all reputation for commercialisation. binary code. He also inspected notable four of Scotland’s ancient universities The Forum was designed by Bennetts aspects of the building, such as its ranked in the world’s top 200.” Associates Architects, and won the floating staircases and outdoor terraces. RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in “This new Centre of Excellence will Scotland Award 2008, the UK’s richest advance Scotland and the University of Two new awards architecture prize.

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