St Andrews global community supporting students in need

The cost of living crisis – now in its third year – has impacted students who are already facing financial challenges here at St Andrews.

The University set up a Cost of Living Taskforce at the beginning of the crisis to provide practical and easily accessible solutions for those students most in need. Initiatives such as subsidised public transport and, most recently, the University Campus Larder have literally thrown them a lifeline.

These projects have been made possible by the powerful combination of University and philanthropic funds.

Thank you to everyone in our global St Andrews community who responded to our call for help earlier this month. Your donations have gone directly to the Cost of Living Taskforce fund and have not only enabled the Campus Larder to remain fully stocked, but have helped with other student costs such as childcare during internships, interview/work clothing and subsidised sports memberships.

Find out more about our dedicated appeal and our Cost of Living initiatives.

Alumni Weekend and Annual Public Meeting

Join us from Friday 14 – Sunday 16 June for this year’s Alumni Weekend. Events include a reception with fizz at Topping & Company Booksellers, ‘Behind the scenes at ‘New College’’ complete with buffet lunch, the University Annual Public Meeting and Reception, wine tasting, barbecue dinner, a Thanksgiving Service in St Salvator’s Chapel and much more.

Book your accommodation now – there’s a special alumni discount at David Russell Apartments or McIntosh Hall.

Please contact the Alumni Relations Team at alumni@st-andrews.ac.uk if you have any questions or would like help to contact old friends and classmates.

View the full programme and register now to attend.

Alumni Stories

We welcome stories from alumni about your time here, your journey since leaving and what the University of St Andrews contributed to that journey.

This month, we feature Elaine Cartwright (MA 1985), who worked at St Andrews for 37 years until her retirement in December and cherishes many fond memories. We also hear from Mingqiao Zhao (MA 2014), pictured, about her journey from Chengdu, China to co-founding an exciting climate tech start-up.

Email the editor at sem28@st-andrews.ac.uk if you would like to share your story.

In particular, we would love to hear from postgraduate alumni as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of St Leonard’s College. This year marks 50 years since the reconstitution of the College in November 1974.

Alianza Ceibo won the St Andrews Prize 2023

Launch of St Andrews Prize for the Environment 2024

Entries are now open for the 2024 St Andrews Prize for the Environment. The competition – led by the University – recognises and rewards projects that make a significant contribution to protecting the environment and encouraging a more sustainable society. The winner receives a prize of US$100,000. The deadline for entries is Friday 12 April 2024.

Shanghai and Beijing alumni events

Professor Brad MacKay, Deputy Principal and Vice-Principal (International Strategy and External Relations), will visit China this month, where he will be hosting alumni receptions in Shanghai and Beijing.

Shanghai alumni event - FULLY BOOKED

Date: Tuesday 26 March

Time: 7.30pm – 9pm (check-in from 6.30pm) China Standard Time

Location: 5F, Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre, No. 555 Middle Xizang Road (close to Nanjing Road), Huangpu District

Beijing alumni event

Date: Friday 29 March

Time: 7.30pm – 9pm (check-in from 6.30pm) China Standard Time

Location: 4F, InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun, No. 1 South Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District

Professor MacKay will be sharing news from the University including plans for our new Business School, which is scheduled to open this September. We will also be hearing about our exciting new ambassador programme in China.

Please note, the Shanghai event is now fully booked with a waiting list.

Reserve your free place for the Beijing alumni event by emailing developmentevents@st-andrews.ac.uk with your full name, subject studied and graduation year.

Arnold Palmer Legacy Experience at Latrobe Country Club

Alumni, parents and friends are invited to join us for the exclusive Arnold Palmer Legacy Experience at Latrobe Country Club, Pennsylvania, on Sunday 19 and Monday 20 May 2024.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Arnold Palmer Golf Scholarships at the University of St Andrews and the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation.

Bobby Jones Scholars announced

The University has announced the latest recipients of the Bobby Jones Scholarship, who will spend the next academic year living and studying at Emory University, Atlanta. Undergraduates from St Andrews and Emory in their final year of study can apply for the Robert T. Jones Memorial Trust Scholarship. The four successful St Andrews graduates and four Emory graduates then have the opportunity to study a variety of classes at the partner institution for one academic year, with all mandatory costs covered.

The Scholarship was created in honour of Robert (Bobby) T. Jones, the most successful amateur golfer of all time.

Bring back the Pier Walk

The St Andrews Harbour Trust is inviting alumni to help bring back the Pier Walk following last year's devastating storm damage. Storms Babet and Ciarán caused significant structural damage to the slipway, pier and cliffs in October 2023, resulting in a repair bill estimated at over £3 million. The damage led to the immediate closure of the pier on safety grounds.

The Pier Walk is an iconic part of student life at St Andrews and work is under way to raise the funds required to reopen the pier and resume the tradition.

British Council Alumni Awards winner

Dr Freideriki Michailidou (PhD 2018), pictured left next to Polytimos Galerakis, one of the organisers of the Greece Alumni Club, was named winner of the Science & Sustainability Award at the British Council Alumni Awards in Greece.

Dr Michailidou is a scientist and entrepreneur who has developed sustainable processes for creating fragrant materials, impacting the food, pharma, agrochemical and advanced materials industries.

Sands International Film Festival 2024

We are delighted to announce that Sands International Film Festival 2024 will feature legendary writer, director, producer, cinematographer and editor Steven Soderbergh - one of contemporary cinema's most prolific filmmakers. The festival will also feature films and filmmakers from across the globe, plus in-person appearances from leading industry figures including film director and founder of Sands Joe Russo; Alan Silvestri, who composed the soundtracks for Avengers, Forrest Gump and The Polar Express; and casting director Debra Zane.

We hope you will join us in St Andrews from 19-21 April for a diverse and vibrant weekend of screenings and events.

New York Alumni Club: Tartan Day Parade

Join the St Andrews Alumni Club of New York to walk in the 26th Annual Tartan Day Parade on Saturday 6 April. Alumni, students, parents and friends of the University are welcome. St Andrews attire, tartan and red gowns are encouraged!

The day will start with an alumni buffet brunch at Jane Doe Lounge at 11am – tickets cost $35 per person and early registration is encouraged.

Date: Saturday 6 April

Timings: Brunch 11am – 1pm; Parade line-up 1pm; Parade begins 2pm

SaintsFunder

This month’s SaintsFunder is the Ambassador Scholarship Fundraiser 2023-2024, which is led by the Principal Ambassador Team at the University. Together, they are raising funds to provide up to £1000 for an incoming student from a widening access background.

University Shop launches new alumni range

The University Shop has launched a new alumni range for its print-on-demand service, featuring exclusive designs that are only available online. This latest stylish and sustainable collection is designed to showcase our alumni’s pride in and connection to St Andrews.

You can read more about the range’s sustainable credentials here.

Alumni Authors

Visualising Peace: photography competition

The University’s Visualising Peace project, in collaboration with PRISMA photography magazine, is running a photography competition. They want to see how people around the world, in different contexts and communities, understand peace – from inner peace to geopolitical or even cosmic peace – past, present and future.

The deadline is Sunday 31 March 2024. A selection of photographs will be exhibited in St Andrews in April prior to the winner’s announcement in the April issue of PRISMA.

Please submit entries via email to prismaphotomag@gmail.com, including a caption that explains where the photo was taken and how it relates to peace or peacebuilding. Multiple (separate) entries are permitted.

Memories of Craigtoun Park: the Dutch Village

The Friends of Craigtoun are looking for memories, photographs and cine film of the Dutch Village in the country park just outside St Andrews. The Dutch Village was – at one time – a venue for tea dances and student parties, including during Rag Week in the 1960s-1980s. Now in a state of disrepair, the Friends are working to restore the structure to its former glory.

If any of our alumni and friends can help, please email enquiries@friendsofcraigtoun.org.uk.  

Laidlaw Live

The Laidlaw Music Centre presents an exciting and varied programme of concerts throughout the year, many of which are live-streamed and can be enjoyed wherever you are in the world.

Reconnect!

If you know someone who would like to reconnect and sign up for St Andrews in the News, they can do so using the links below:

Alumni: Update your contact information

Parents/guardians of undergraduate students: Register to join the Family Programme

Email: alumni@st-andrews.ac.uk for more information.