Celebrating our 10-Years Anniversary in the Heart of Europe
October 14, 2018
For a decade we have "Met, Debated and Explored", and plan on doing so for many years to come!
As a celebration of this milestone, we organized an anniversary party for our ten years of existence as an LSE Alumni Association in Belgium on 9th October. Around 90 alumni joined the party, met old and new friends, enjoyed the refreshments, including a custom-made cake, and talked about the LSE, their connection to our alma mater and the future of Europe.
We would like to extend special thanks to our keynote speakers: LSE alumnus Margaritis Schinas, Chief Spokesperson of the European Commission and Deputy Director-General at DG COMM, and Professor Kevin Featherstone, Director of the Hellenic Observatory at the LSE and former Head of the European Institute.
The LSE AAB President Maurice Fermont introduced the keynote speakers with a heartfelt recollection of the history of the association and its many events and activities, offering his thanks to past and present board members for their invaluable voluntary work in the smooth and successful running of the association.
Margaritis Schinas then took the floor: he started his keynote speech by recalling his experience at the LSE as one the most formative times of his life and one that revealed to him new approaches that became invaluable for his future successes. He connected this experience to the progresses he made in his career, providing him value even today in his senior managerial role as chief spokesperson of the European Commission. Finally, he touched upon the current situation in Europe, and how engagement at local level from those who believe in the project is essential to win the hearts and minds of European citizens.
In Professor Kevin Featherstone's closing speech, he started by updating the alumni attending the event about the latest news from the university, including new developments in the school's campus and the commencement of its new Director, Dame Minouche Shafik. He also framed these developments in the broader European context, noting how the LSE is interconnected with many other top-level institutes across the continent, such as Science Po in Paris. This brought him to his last point, Brexit and the future of the UK. He stated that, no matter what happens, all the efforts will be made to make sure the strong connections of the school to other universities and to the alumni community will stay strong and firm.
Many heartfelt thanks to all of you who came to celebrate this milestone with us and a big thank you to our sponsor for the night BNP Paribas Fortis! It was indubitably a night to remember and we are looking forward to welcoming you to our next events!
