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Reunions Anja Funston, International Officer (far left), meets with alumni in Vancouver

Planning a reunion

Reunions are a great way to meet up with old friends and rekindle your memories of SOAS. If you would like to organise a reunion of your former classmates, or an event for alumni living in your city or country, then we are here to help!

  • You can use the Classmate Search facility on this website to search our database for the contact details of your former classmates, or alumni in your region
  • We would be more than happy to help with drafting or editing your letter or invitation 
  • We can offer advice on suitable venues and catering, as well as the general style and format for the reunion
  • We will publicise your reunion and then report the reunion on the Events pages of the Online Community and in our E-Lumni Bulletin
  • Any new contact details you gather from attendees of the event will be updated in our database to ensure we have accurate data for your next reunion!
     

Checklist for organising a reunionThailand reunion, February 2008

  • First, contact the Alumni Relations office so that we can give you a breakdown of how many email and postal addresses we have for your former classmates. Please see our statement below regarding the Data Protection Act.
  • Consider the format of the reunion, for example an informal meal or drinks, a visit to an art gallery or other attraction, and if you're in London, a tour of 'old haunts' around Russell Square… The only limitations are the budget and your imagination! Ask us for more ideas.
  • Draft a letter or invitation, including your contact details and information about the event. Stuck for ideas? Contact us for help.
  • An old photo from your student days enclosed with this letter may prompt fond memories to be relived and encourage attendance.
  • Let us know who you would like to contact and we will attempt to contact them by email in the first instance. Please bear in mind however that for many of our alumni, we hold only a mailing address, so if we were not able to contact some of your classmates by email we would be able to send them a letter by post on your behalf. RSVPs should be sent directly to the organiser.
  • It is sometimes useful to send out an initial letter or email to the group to gauge the level of interest for the reunion and what preferences there are towards location and the type of event.
  • When you have made the final arrangements a second letter should be sent out informing the group of the date, location and so on - again, we will undertake this mailing for you if you wish.
  • Remember to include an RSVP date to ensure that everyone replies in sufficient time.
  • After the reunion, send us a brief summary and photographs from the reunion so that we can share it with the rest of the community and encourage and inspire other reunions.

Information about the Data Protection Act

The Data Protection Act 1998 prohitibs us from sharing the contact details of our alumni without their prior permission. We can however assist by contacting alumni by email or letter on your behalf. All you need to do is draft an invitation letter that includes information about the reunion, making sure to include your contact details and ask for recipients to contact you directly. Read SOAS' Data Protection Policy for more information.