A message from the Director of Development and Alumni Relations
I wanted to get in touch to offer our support and best wishes to our worldwide alumni community during the challenging times we are facing as a result of COVID-19.
The University would like to reach out to our alumni and friends around the world to let you know our thoughts are with you during these unprecedented and uncertain times, and to most of all send you our thoughts and best wishes to you and your families. As always, we are extremely proud of our alumni who have dedicated themselves to working in healthcare professions worldwide, across research, tackling diseases and in caring for others, and we think of you in these challenging times.
University update
The wellbeing of our students and staff is of our utmost priority and as of Monday 16 March, all teaching for non-clinical course was moved online and will remain in place until the end of the academic year. In addition, the majority of University staff, including the Development & Alumni team, have this week moved to home-working.
Although our office is closed, the team can still be contacted by phone and email to answer any questions you may have. You can find our details here.
You will also be aware that we took the decision to postpone all University events in the UK and internationally. We hope to reschedule these where possible but at this moment are unable to give a definitive date. We will also be regularly updating our news pages and social media channels so please find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
You can find useful information about COVID-19 and further updates about the University’s response here. You can also read the latest news stories from the University, including the new £1million laboratory established to understand the effects of COVID-19.
Our medical student volunteers
We are immensely proud of the various ways in which our students and staff are working together to consider practical and creative ways in which they can support their local communities and the national effort during this crisis, offering expertise, equipment and facilities. In particular, I wanted to share with you the news that our final-year students from our School of Medicine who have volunteered to help the NHS tackle the coronavirus crisis.
In response to the current unprecedented demand on the NHS, more than 230 students who are just a few months away from becoming qualified doctors will use their skills to support patient care during the growing COVID-19 pandemic at local hospital trusts they already know.
The students, who have already completed their final assessments, will carry out a range of clinical duties that are within the clinical competencies they have already acquired. Click here to read about our amazing student volunteers, which includes interviews with the BBC.
Please do take care of yourselves and your families and if you'd like to keep in touch with us, please update your contact information here.
With best wishes
Christina Turner
Director of Development & Alumni Relations
P.S. For those of you who registered to receive a paper copy of the Alumni magazine, this will be with you later this month and the digital version will be out soon.