The University celebrates its 70th anniversary by inviting you to Highfield campus

The University celebrates its 70th anniversary by inviting you to Highfield campus.

In 1952 the University of Southampton was born, as HM Queen Elizabeth II conferred a Royal Charter upon the former Hartley College, granting it the right to award its own degrees. Southampton was the first university to be awarded its own charter under the new Queen.

This May, just like the Queen, the University will hold a special celebration event to mark its 70th anniversary, and we’d love you to come back to Southampton to join in. As well as a chance to revisit the Highfield Campus, reminisce and reconnect with old friends, you’ll have the option to attend presentations and lectures about some of the University’s cutting-edge research, and tours of facilities that are not usually open to the public such as the Hartley Library Special Collections.

In the lecture hall you are invited to hear from leading academics who will give an insightful talk on the future of medicine, and the ways that Southampton is developing new treatments and delivering better outcomes for patients – specifically focusing on advancements in cancer and dementia research. We’ll also have a special guest appearance from the University’s Pro-Chancellor, alumnus Jon Sopel, who will be taking part in an ‘in conversation’ event with Head of Politics, Professor Russell Bentley, with plenty of opportunity for you to ask Jon your own questions directly.

The day will be rounded off with drinks and a traditional pub quiz to test your knowledge of all things Southampton.

If you’d like to join us on Saturday 14th May, register now.

We’ll be recording the keynote lectures from the day for all of you who are just too far away from campus to make it in person. Keep an eye on our social media channels and regular What’s On newsletters for dates when we will be streaming the videos.

If you can’t make it back to campus, why not organise your own reunion to celebrate this historic milestone? Get together with friends, classmates or members of your favourite societies, and don’t forget to tell us about it so we can celebrate along with you. If you’re not sure where to start, you can check our hints and tips for arranging your own reunion event. Share your pictures on social media and tag them with #sotonreunion. You never know, you might even find yourself in the pages of the next Hartley News!

… and that’s not all!

The University is seizing the opportunity to launch several major initiatives as we celebrate this anniversary year, from publishing our new strategy, to announcing our first ever Outstanding Alumni Awards this summer alongside our biggest ever graduation event.

We know that you, our alumni and supporter community, are a key part of the University’s history, but also its future. Without you, Southampton would not be able to stand at the forefront of research, education and enterprise. Thank you for being part of our story. We look forward to exploring our next chapter together.

Read more about our University strategy, launched in our 70th year. Thank you to everyone who fed into the consultation and helped to shape this step forward in our journey.

Find out more about our Celebratory Event on campus and sign-up here.