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UCL’s Connect series visits Edinburgh for the first time

20 June 2018

On Tuesday 19 June the UCL Connect series held its first ever event in Scotland’s capital city.

UCL Connect: Edinburgh

A panel of UCL alumni joined Lori Houlihan UCL Vice-Provost (Development) in Edinburgh to their share insights into their fascinating careers. We welcomed Paul Lawrence (BA 1986), Executive Director of Place - City of Edinburgh Council. Paul told us about the mentor that helped expand his mind and the importance of being challenged at work.

Sally Foster (BA Medieval Archaeology 1984) Lecturer in Heritage and Conservation at the University of Sterlingcontinued the theme of mentoring, she shared her experience of working for someone who later became her mentor. She explained how it gave her the courage to not only change jobs, but to start working in a completely new sector.

Shanda Doherty (MSc International Public Policy 2010) formerly the Operations Director for Challenges Worldwide, now working for Edinburgh University shared her memories of networking. She reminded everyone that even if it is not your strength, networking helps open doors that relying on your CV might not.

Matilda Mayne (BSc Human Sciences 2014) ), a recent UCL graduate, shared how the first year of ‘going it alone’ with her performance consultancy was more difficult than she thought it would be. She revealed how identifying industry problems enabled her to go to businesses and market solutions to them.

Finally, the audience heard from Lori Houlihan about her impressive career journey. Lori gave one last piece of advice, relevant to everyone developing their career, from the renowned writer, Oscar Wilde. ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken.

This was an exciting and inspirational evening, an opportunity for the many UCL alumni living in Edinburgh to come together, learn and be inspired.

The next UCL Connect event will be held in Beijing where blockchain and links to the future will be discussed.

If you would like to find out more about UCL Connect events and alumni groups where you live, visit the alumni website at ucl.ac.uk/alumni/alumni-events