WINTER 2014 | 15 THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE + BILLET & GENERAL COUNCIL PAPERS I MADE IT UP MARGARET ATWOOD ON CRAFTING A LITERARY CAREER ALSO INSIDE HERBARIUM: PLANTS AND PAINTINGS | WHEN OLD COLLEGE WAS NEW | HISTORY MAKERS: CHEMISTRY WINTER 2014 | 15 CONTENTS FOREWORD CONTENTS elcome to the winter edition of Edit. Edinburgh 08 16 W and Scotland have a place in the hearts of countless people throughout the world, and the leading poet and author Margaret Atwood is no exception. She Inspiration can be your legacy spoke to Edit as she received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh, and her interview on pages “A university and a gallery have much in common. 6-7 is a characteristic blend of humour and insight, taking in the power of access to higher education to bring 10 12 Challenging. Beautiful. Visionary. about social change, and including a mention of Irn-Bru. Designed to inspire the hearts and minds Anniversaries crop up throughout this edition of your magazine. A ceremony launching a major refurbishment of of the leaders and creators of tomorrow.” Old College also celebrated the laying of the foundation Pat Fisher, Principal Curator, stone 225 years ago. We open the cabinet doors of one of 18 Talbot Rice Gallery www.ed.ac.uk/talbot-rice the world's leading herbariums, which, jointly founded by the University in the 19th century, has been in its current home for 50 years. We also examine the University's unique relationship with China as the Confucius Institute for Scotland passes its 10th birthday. Edit itself moves with the times, and as we publish our latest printed magazine, 04 Digital Edit tu18 Wha Yo Did Next we have a new suite of digital offerings, all of which include additional multimedia content. See pages 4-7 06 Update 20 Edinburgh Experience for how to get the most from Edit in 2015. 08 The Interview 22 Snapshot Margaret Atwood on Kirsty MacDonald, Executive Director Edinburgh, writing, and 24 Arts Review of Development and Alumni Engagement ignoring advice. 10 New beginnings 25 Science Digest for Old College Looking back to Old Published by Communications and Marketing 26 The History Makers College's foundation, and The University of Edinburgh, Floor C, Forrest Hill Building, forwards to redevelopment. 5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh EH1 2QL, UK 28 Alumni Network 12 Discoveries Contact: [email protected] Design: www.hookson.com cut and dried 29 The Two of Us Printing: Sterling Inside Edinburgh's world-leading herbarium. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written 30 Landmark consent of the University of Edinburgh. The views expressed in Edit are those of the 16 The Chinese contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the University. This magazine is printed on environmentally friendly, carbon-balanced paper that has been accredited connection 31 The Last Word by the Forestry Stewardship Council. Exploring a uniquely ON THE MOVE? If you have changed address please let us know. Contact strong relationship. 32 Billet Development & Alumni on +44 (0)131 650 2240 or at [email protected] A gift to the University of Edinburgh in your will helps us maintain an outstanding public gallery for art and ideas. This publication is available in alternative formats on request. CONTACT US To find out more about making a gift to the University of Edinburgh in your will, [email protected] please contact Morag Murison on +44 (0)131 650 9637 or [email protected] facebook.com/edalumni We are happy to arrange a chat or simply send you an information pack. twitter.com/edinburghalumni Alternatively, visit www.ed.ac.uk/legacy-giving tinyurl.com/edalumni The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. WWW.EDIT.ED.AC.UK 3 DIGITAL EDIT WINTER 2014 | 15 CHOOSE YOUR DIGITAL EDIT DIGITAL EDIT VISIT CHOOSE YOUR DIGITAL EDIT WWW.EDIT.ED.AC.UK READ (AND WATCH) ALL ABOUT IT Edit’s digital offering VISIT OR DOWNLOAD THE NEW DIGITAL EDITIONS has been expanded OF EDIT FOR MULTIMEDIA EXTRAS WITH MANY OF THE ARTICLES IN THE PRINT MAGAZINE. and enhanced with THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2014 | 15 Video content includes: the publication of Interview with Margaret Atwood, talking about links between the winter 2014/15 Scotland and Canada. magazine. You can now enjoy additional multimedia content and read the whole of Edit in the way that suits your technology and your preferences. Video of the procession to commemorate the foundation of Old College and launch its refurbishment. DON’T MISS OUT LET US KNOW YOUR PREFERENCES From January 2015 we will send one printed edition of Edit to all alumni Alumni have access to services and each year. Our summer edition of Edit benefits through the secure MyEd will be in digital format only, with portal. For recent graduates, who will additional features added to the have used MyEd while studying at web-based version throughout the at the University, your student login year. To enjoy the year-round benefit details will have been converted Video of Confucius Institute’s Interview with botanical of Edit, Enlightened and all alumni automatically into alumni access. “China at the Mound” artists Fiona Strickland and services, make sure we have your For those who did not use MyEd as celebrations. Robert McNeill. details and that your preferences a student, you can register for MyEd are up to date. by emailing our Information Services IPAD, ANDROID helpline: [email protected]. AND KINDLE Through MyEd, you can access a wide range of alumni services, from The winter edition of Edit is available information about alumni events to RESPONSIVE WEB EDITION as an interactive app for tablet and careers support. You can also update smartphone, across iOS, Android and your preferences, such as whether The web-based edition of the first digital edition in summer 2014, Kindle formats, accessed from the App you receive the printed version of Edit Plus: Full-screen versions of photographs. magazine, at edit.ed.ac.uk, now the web-based magazine will be Store, Google Play and Amazon. As and whether you receive the monthly includes every section of Edit, from updated between print editions with the web-based magazine, the apps ENGLIGHTENED Enlightened email. Update to The Last Word and Billet. with new feature articles. contain video with our feature articles, and the whole of the printed magazine’s Our monthly Enlightened newletter is This responsive browser-based format, Past editions of the magazine will content is included. We will publish packed with news about your fellow which includes video with many of be available and all articles will two editions of the apps each year, one graduates and the University, and the articles, can be viewed across be searchable. in summer, one in winter. information about alumni benefits. any platform from smartphone to desktop computer. Building on our 4 THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH WWW.EDIT.ED.AC.UK 5 UPDATE WINTER 2014 | 15 UNIVERSITY AND ALUMNI NEWS UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST ALUMNI NEWS, VISIT UPDATE WWW.ED.AC.UK/ALUMNI 01 01 02 03 04 TEVIO T CELEBRATES 125TH BIRTHDAY Students, staff and alumni marked the 125th anniversary in November of the world’s oldest purpose-built Student Union building, Teviot Row House. A weekend of events celebrated the history of Teviot, which was opened in 1889. There was a Prohibition- themed jazz night in the Library Bar, and a comedy and music 05 extravaganza featuring Craig Hill, student comedians Joe McArdle and Becky Price, the Improverts and Hector's Heroes Ceilidh Band. The weekend concluded with a students v alumni University Challenge quiz, hosted by BBC Scotland’s Political Editor, Brian Taylor. The narrowly defeated alumni team were Ruth Davidson (MA General Arts Gayle Lindgren Gayle 1999), Nicholas Grier (LLB Law 1982), Jane Barlow Jane Barlow Neil Hanna Stephen Jardine (MA History 1985) and George McGavin (BSc Zoology 1975). 01 ENERGY MINISTER AMBER RUDD LAUNCHES 02 SHINY NEW 03 NORTH AMERICAN 04 AS IT HAPPENED 05 FIRBUSH ‘BREATHTAKING’ OCEAN SIMULATOR COAT FOR OFFICE OPENS 30 YEARS AGO REVISITED GOLDEN BOY The University Library is publishing Dr Sonia Wakelin (BSc 1995, MBChB The University’s marine energy Council, the University and Scottish She added: “I have lots of fond The University has strengthened its links with North America by opening digitised editions of the Student 1997, PhD 2006), has made a very testing facility, FloWave, has been Enterprise. It can simulate waves up memories of Edinburgh. I was The iconic “Golden Boy” statue that a liaison office in New York City. newspaper from exactly 30 years special trip to the University’s opened by Amber Rudd (MA to 28 metres high and currents of 12 particularly interested in getting tops the dome of Old College has ago, week by week. Firbush Point outdoor centre on the History 1986), Parliamentary knots in the two-metre deep tank, involved in acting, and one of the been regilded. The new base will aid collaboration between the University and its partners in banks of Loch Tay – with her young Under-Secretary at the Department using 2.4 million litres of water. most extraordinary things I did with education, business and government across Canada and the USA. It will also The newspaper is being published family, 20 years after her first visit as of Energy and Climate Change. a friend was to put on a grown-up The dome was shrouded in scaffolding help strengthen ties with Edinburgh alumni in North America and provide a on the library’s blog, in a one-year an undergraduate.