Thank you for joining us during 2023
We are delighted to share the success of our recent series of alumni events, which brought together over 200 alumni and their guests across six locations worldwide.
The events provided a wonderful opportunity for the Hughes Hall community to reconnect, reminisce, and strengthen the bonds that make our alma mater so special.
In November, Bill Conner, Director of Institutional Advancement, embarked on a trip to China, visiting Shenzhen and Shanghai to meet with valued Hughes Hall alumni. The engagements were marked by lively conversations, shared experiences, and a reaffirmation of the global impact of the Hughes Hall community.
Front left to right: Alumni gathering in Shenzhen, Bill and Laurie in the United States, Alumni gathering in Shanghai
One of the highlights of the alumni calendar was the annual Christmas party, hosted at the Oxford and Cambridge Club on December 1st. The event drew an fantastic crowd, with 150 alumni attending and tickets selling out within four hours. The festive gathering was testament to the enduring spirit of camaraderie among Hughes Hall alumni.
Tickets to our Alumni Christmas Party sold out within four hours
Adding to the series of successful events, Bill Conner, alongside Hughes Hall President Sir Laurie Bristow, met with alumni in New York City and Washington D.C. The New York gathering, kindly hosted by alumna Azin Aliabadi Lighvani and Sebastian Lighvani in the Upper East Side, was a beautiful evening filled with meaningful connections and, as ever, a shared sense of pride in Hughes Hall.
Goodbye Bill Connor
As we celebrate the successes of these events, and bring together stories from the people that make our college so special, we also bid a fond farewell to Bill Conner who is retiring after many years of service to Hughes Hall. Bill reflects on his time at Hughes:
“I will take with me friendships and memories to be treasured for many years. Since I joined the College in 2018, my five years at Hughes Hall proved to among the most challenging of my career, including a change of president and of course COVID.”
“In spite of the difficulties, we changed the college’s fundraising paradigm to join the top ten Cambridge colleges in fundraising performance, three out of the last four years, and had the opportunity to experiment with all sorts of new approaches to engage with alumni and the wider world. As I will remain a Senior Member into the future, I will look forward to seeing many of you at future events.”
With our thanks for his commitment to Hughes Hall over the years, and for the positivity and vibrancy he brought to the college community, we wish him a well-deserved and joyful retirement.
Bill (centre) reflects: “I will take with me friendships and memories to be treasured for many years”
As the festive season approaches, We would like to extend our warmest wishes to all of our alumni, friends, and their families. We are grateful for your support and enthusiasm during the past year and are actively reviewing our event schedule for coming year to ensure we meet the growing demand from our fabulous, kind and supportive alumni.
Keep your eyes peeled for updates on our 2024 event schedule, and arrivederci Bill!
- For more information on alumni events and benefits, see: Alumni benefits
- To receive invitations to alumni events, update your contact details here: Update your contact details
- To contact the Alumni Relations and Development Team, email development@hughes.cam.ac.uk
- Alumni Christmas Party photography by Layton Thompson Photography
13.12.23
