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Annual Alumni Update 2024

It has been a busy past twelve months for the University and our alumni and development activities. In this annual update, we reflect on some of our achievements over the last year and give you a taste of what is to come in 2024.

The Alumni Team have compiled a series of videos for you which include an update from our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shirley Congdon, on our plans for the University in 2024. We also bring you a personal and insightful conversation between alum Yvonne Field OBE, Founder and CEO of the Ubele Initiative, and current students Leon Breheney and Rosa Sargent, who are President and Vice-President of the University of Bradford's Social Justice Society. We are also delighted to share an update from our Chancellor, Anita Rani, who has launched a scholarship programme aimed at supporting women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Look out for the quarterly Bradford Graduate e-newsletters which are circulated to alumni. Make sure you register on the Alumni Portal to ensure you receive alumni news. You can also keep updated with alumni news via our social media channels.

A conversation with our Vice-Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon

Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shirley Congdon, reflects on her highlights from the past year and talks about her priorities for the University and our community of staff, students and alumni in 2024.

Making a Difference - Celebrating our alumni and students

We had the pleasure of joining a warm and intimate conversation between alum Yvonne Field OBE, Founder and CEO of the Ubele Initiative and students Leon Breheney and Rosa Sargent, President and Vice-President of the University of Bradford’s Social Justice Society.
 
Yvonne talks about her journey from her time as a student at the University of Bradford, to her current experience as a Change Agent, Social Entrepreneur, Strategist and Social Justice Campaigner. Leon and Rosa also share their experiences as current students and the work they do in our city and region as members of the Social Justice Society at the University.

Support the Rani Scholarship

Our Chancellor, Anita Rani, has set up the Rani Scholarship, which will help women financially through their time at the University.

Starting from September 2024, the Rani Scholarship is a life-changing opportunity for women who ordinarily wouldn’t be able to access Higher Education, to study for an undergraduate degree at the University of Bradford.

The scholarship will support two home students and two international students annually for the duration of their studies. Home students will receive an annual £6,600 bursary and international students will receive an annual 50% tuition fee reduction. Recipients will also benefit from bespoke, wrap-around support such as mentoring and placements, and be part of a community where they are supported, visible and belong. 

If you share Anita’s passion and want to change the trajectory of a woman's life, please consider donating to the Rani Scholarship and give a gift of an education to someone who wouldn’t be able to access Higher Education without your support.

The Bradford-Renduchintala Enterprise Ecosystem (BREE)

The Bradford-Renduchintala Enterprise Ecosystem (BREE) is a Dragons’ Den-style ‘enterprise ecosystem’ to take business ideas from concept to market. It is open to students, staff, alumni and members of the public, who can pitch business ideas and bid for grants. The £2.5m initiative has been launched, thanks to a donation of £1.25m from Bradford alumnus Dr Murthy Renduchintala, which has been matched by the University. BREE aims to position Bradford as the number one university in England for promoting business start-ups.

Read more from the 2024 Annual Update

If you would like to learn more about our key achievements over the last year and some of the things to look out for across the year of 2024, you can click the link below to read the full annual alumni update.

We will continue to create and send out quarterly e-newsletters to you if you have signed up to the portal and indicated that you wish to receive news. We will also continue to use social media to update you so please do follow, like, or connect with us. Please feel free to use the social media buttons on this page to update your preferences or use the link below to register on the Bradford Connect Portal.

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Bradford Graduate blog 

Volunteering as a contributor to with a a blog or an article is a great way to share your insights and experiences whilst also getting your work published.

You can e-mail us your blog post or ideas to [email protected].

Alumni profile

We are dedicated to sharing the stories of our alumni and our profiles page creates a space where we can showcase your Bradford experiences and your subsequent personal and professional journeys. You can contribute an alumni profile by completing the form via the profile button below.