University of Leicester Alumni

The University was founded with a regional civic mission, and that mission continues today.

On Wednesday 10 June, a special celebration of heritage took place in Lyddington, Rutland, paying homage to the University’s roots in the local community.

Read the full story 👉 https://le.ac.uk/news/2026/june/special-ceremony-university-leicester-celebrate-rutland-roots

Professor Sir Nishan Canagarajah, President and Vice-Chancellor, was joined by Dr Sarah Furness, Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, and alumna and High Sheriff of Rutland, Susannah Fish, to welcome attendees and share the rich history connecting the University and the County.

Dr Astley Clarke of Lyddington, one of the University’s founding fathers and its first benefactor, was an officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps. In November 1918, he donated £100 to establish the Leicester University Fund, celebrating peace and supporting the creation of a university as a memorial. His gift inspired many local people to do the same in the years that followed.

The University has now launched its largest philanthropic campaign since its founding. 2121: Founders of the Future aims to raise £100 million and will be celebrated, alongside the established Sir Lawrence Howard Rutland Scholarship, at an event on Thursday 1 October at Harrington School in Rutland.

Learn more about our founding history with Rutland 👉 https://le.ac.uk/news/2026/june/special-ceremony-university-leicester-celebrate-rutland-roots

University of Leicester

Indian alumni - are you currently working in the UK?

We’re looking to celebrate the inspiring journeys of our global community to support our global recruitment team! ✨

For an upcoming Throwback Thursday session on 25 June or 30 July, we’d love to feature an Indian alumnus/alumna, ideally someone currently working in the UK, to share their story and insights with prospective students.

Session themes will include:
🗺 Your journey at the University of Leicester
⭐ Life after graduation
📈 How Leicester supported your career development
✨ Internship and employment opportunities
💻 Post-study work experience in the UK
💕 Advice for current offer holders
🎓 Tips on securing employment after graduation

📚 We’re particularly keen to hear from graduates in:
Business | Engineering | Mathematics | Computer Science

This is a fantastic opportunity to inspire the next generation and showcase the impact of a Leicester education.

👉 Know someone who would be a great fit, or interested yourself? Get in touch at [email protected]

Named after Nelson: Learning from places named after Nelson Mandela through Graphic Heritage

📅 Tuesday 16th June 2026
⏰ 6pm - 8pm
📍 De Montfort University, SDG11 Hub, Heritage House, 61 Southgates, Leicester LE1 5RR

Book your place before Friday 12 June: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/named-after-nelson-learning-from-places-named-after-nelson-mandela-tickets-1989458226109

Join us for ‘Named after Nelson,’ an in-person public event exploring how places named after Nelson Mandela tell stories about memory, identity, and community. Inspired by a walk through Nelson Mandela Park in Leicester, the evening will explore place naming, visual culture, sustainability, and caring for shared public spaces through talks and discussion.

Book now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/named-after-nelson-learning-from-places-named-after-nelson-mandela-tickets-1989458226109

🌏 Connecting Alumni in China

Recent activity in Shenzhen highlights the continued growth and energy of the University of Leicester alumni community in China. Bringing graduates together across different cohorts, these meet-ups create valuable opportunities to reconnect, share experiences, and strengthen professional networks.

Alumni in the region have been particularly active in organising a range of events—from informal social gatherings to larger collaborative networking sessions with graduates from other international universities. These initiatives showcase both the strong sense of community among Leicester alumni and their openness to building wider global connections.

Such efforts are helping to expand engagement across the Greater Bay Area, creating more opportunities for alumni to stay connected with each other and with the University.

And of course, the Leicester bears made a welcome appearance too 🐻

It was a pleasure to welcome Jon and his alumni group back to campus for a special reunion visit celebrating 35 years since graduation!

The group enjoyed a guided tour around campus, revisited their old engineering lecture theatres, explored our alumni merchandise, and heard about the exciting developments shaping the campus today.

Our visitors represented a fantastic mix of disciplines and graduating cohorts, including Engineering and Medicine having graduated between 1991 and 1995.

They travelled from far and wide to join us Southport, Northampton, Derby, Rugby, and Ipswich proving that once you’re part of the alumni community, distance doesn’t matter.

A huge thank you to Jon and everyone in the group for making the journey back and for sharing memories of their time here. We loved hosting you and hope to welcome you back again soon!

Celebrate 60 years of Leicester Law School with us! 🎉

Join us at 5pm on Friday 26 June for a special anniversary lecture, taking place both in person and online.

We are delighted to welcome Mr Simeon Maskrey KC, who will deliver a lecture titled “Learning to Think at Leicester.”

Reconnect with fellow alumni, staff, students and friends as we mark this milestone together.
📍 Sir Bob Burgess Building, University of Leicester (or join online)

🎟️ Free event, open to University of Leicester alumni
👉 Book your place today - email [email protected]

Join us as we celebrate 60 years of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester 🎉

On Friday 12 June at 5pm, we’re bringing together alumni, students, staff and friends for a special panel discussion marking six decades of global impact.

Hear from an inspiring panel of alumni leaders across the cultural sector, including representatives from the V&A, Arts Council England, and beyond.

Together, they will reflect on the evolution of museum practice and explore future challenges and opportunities in the field.

🗣️ Chaired by Professor Ross Parry
📍 Sir Bob Burgess Building or online
🍸 Drinks reception for in-person guests
💬 Networking via Teams for online attendees
🎟️ Free event for University of Leicester alumni

👉 Register now - email [email protected]

Outstanding alumni celebrated at University Alumni Awards Dinner ⭐

Last night, the Leicester alumni community came together at the National Space Centre in Leicester to celebrate it's successes, highlighting the achievements of seven trailblazers who have been making waves in society since graduating.

Read the full story 👉 https://le.ac.uk/news/2026/may/outstanding-alumni-awards-dinner

A huge congratulations to our 2026 Alumni Award winners and highly commended, and to everyone else who was nominated.

Read about our winners and highly commended here: https://le.ac.uk/alumni/join-us/events/award-winners-showcase