History - Past Activities
& Nordic Oxford Alumni
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Meeting Minds, was held 14-16 September 2007, the first University-wide Oxford alumni weekend. Various open-house activities, lectures, tours, performances, etc. were on offer.
Full details can be seen online at:
http://www.alumniweekend.ox.ac.uk
Briefly, £50 per person secured an Alumni Weekend Pass, which covered most lectures, tours and events (a few events incurred an additional charge); all matriculated alumni of the University of Oxford were eligible to attend (including those who've attended courses with the Department for Continuing Education) and also to register up to two guests.
A full range of activities took place.
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14 June 2007
Christopher Lagerqvist kindly provided an insider's view of Sweden's
Parliament
20 members attended
PROGRAMME
Met at Mynttorget 1, Stockholm at 6 PM
6:05 PM: Introduction (Christopher Lagerqvist)
6:15 PM: History of the Swedish Parliament, with guided tour
7:00 PM: Welcome Speech by MP ULF SJÖSTEN
Member of Committee on Finance
7.30 PM: Networking drink / socializing
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24 February 2007
Ambassador's Dinner in Oxford (with the Oxford University Scandinavian Society)
Oxford alumni & friends in the Nordic region were invited by the Scandinavian Society to enjoy the Ambassadors Dinner in Oxford at Trinity College (Oxford), Saturday 24th February from 19:30.
Black tie; £40 cost (included wines)
Further details at:
http://www.scansoc.com/ambassadorsdinner.html
The announcement noted: "Starting with pre-dinner drinks at 7:30 in the
Danson Room, we will move into Trinity College’s splendid hall for a
four-course dinner punctuated by regular toasts, drinking songs, and the
corresponding Scandinavian beverages."
Natalie Lundsteen of the Scandinavian Society was in charge:
natalie.lundsteen@cas.ox.ac.uk
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Oxford University Society Nordic
Tuesday 16 January 2007
from 18:30 to 22:30
19 Oxford people attending
Oxford University Society Nordic enjoyed a jolly New Year's Gathering at the Stockholm restaurant Bysis (Hornsgatan 82B) in mid-January. We began with a bountiful Mediterranean buffet and excellent cameraderie, followed by a guest presentation. Heidi Kurtz, Oxford University Senior Development Officer, Earth Sciences, provided us with an update on many new
things happening at the university. Nick Griffiths from the British Embassy led us in the loyal toast.
We also bid a reluctant send-off to our Chairperson, Alyson
Bailes, who is leaving Sweden later in 2007 for new horizons in Iceland. Many thanks Alyson for tireless efforts in developing our OUS Nordic operations.
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Oxford University Society Nordic
Monday 16 October 2006
from 17:00 to 18:30
31 Oxford people attending
Oxford Chancellor Chris Patten (now Lord Patten of Barnes, former EU Commissioner for External Relations and former Governor of Hong Kong) was in Stockholm mid-October, and gave the Anna Lindh Memorial Lecture in Lund.
Ambassador & Mrs. Anthony Cary very kindly hosted a reception, inviting the Oxford Society Nordic and graduates of the London School of Economics to their residence (Laboratoriegatan 8, Stockholm). All of us enjoyed a fine time!
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Oxford Nordic: Copenhagen
Sunday 20 August 2006, 4 - 6pm
10 people attending
Erum and Jacob Gulmann kindly planned a casual get-together in Copenhagen for Oxford-related people & friends. It was a great chance to meet fellow Oxonians, and was perhaps the start and groundwork for further regional events.
Den Franske Café
Place: Sortedam Dossering 101, 2100 Copenhagen Ø
A nice little cafe right on one of the lakes in central Copenhagen; members met for some refreshments / drinks (self-funded). Spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, kids were also invited.
Contact:
efgulmann@gmail.com
Cell phone: 0045 29 92 63 97
Erum Faruqi Gulmann
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Oxford University Society
Norwegian Branch
The Annual Oxford Lecture in Oslo was given this year by Sir Neil Chalmers, Warden of Wadham, on 14th September (Thursday). The same evening there was a reception at the British Ambassador's residence for invited guests, and also a formal dinner (annual Oxford dinner) elsewhere.
Those who wished to attend and had not received information were urged to contact the OUS Norwegian branch to make sure they were on the guest-list:
c/o Bjørn Blindhiem
bbli@broadpark.no
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Oxford Society Nordic
Guided Tour of the SWEDISH ARMY MUSEUM
Stockholm, Sunday 7 May 2006 from 14:00
10 members attended
The Swedish Army Museum (Armémuseum, http://www.armemuseum.se) has been widely
praised for its imaginative exhibits. Based on an anti-war philosophical
approach, the museum manages to convey a lot of the colour and excitement of
the military world as well. The collections are housed in a fine historic
bulding on Riddargatan 13 in Stockholm.
We had a free one-hour guided tour of the museum in English, with emphasis on the 17th-century period when Sweden's and Britain's military affairs were particularly closely entwined. Afterward we repaired to their excellent café (Vindruvan) for coffee and buns; many of us also enjoyed a special WWII
exhibition in the outer courtyard, with ersatz coffee & field ration weiners.
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Oxford: Uppsala history lecture
National Education in the British Isles
Date: Friday 5 May 2006
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Place: Department of History, Engelska parken, Uppsala
Dr. Joanna Innes, from the Faculty of Modern History at the University of Oxford, visited Uppsala in early May to give a talk at the Uppsala University History Department on "The early history of the idea of 'national education' in the British Isles, 1765 to 1815". Oxford University Society Nordic members were invited by Christopher Lagerqvist, who also made arrangements for a private lunch before the seminar at Kung Krål, Gamla torget.
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8 March 2006
UK-Sweden Science Workshop
held at Stockholm University
Under patronage of the British Embassy, a group of Oxford scientists
joined with groups based in Sweden, Finland, and at the European
level in a seminar on the uncertainties of "Predicting the Effect of Climate Change in the Arctic."
Climate change is increasingly in the news - is it just a lot of hot air? Why is it so hard to figure out? How much do specialists know, and why don't they know more? Subgroup discussions covered associated topics such as distributed computing.
Oxford University Society Nordic members were invited to the seminar and to the reception which followed.
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Our Oxford Nordic 2006 New Year's Celebration took place Monday, 23 January from 7PM on the M/S Rygerfjord. This is a cozy ship hotel / restaurant permanently docked in Stockholm, Sweden, on Södermalm opposite the City Hall.
Schedule was as follows:
19:00 arrival and welcome drink
19:30 the buffet was laid; first round of eating
- entertainment by angelic Swedish winter songstresses Salt
- short greetings from our Chair, Alyson Bailes
- fellowship
- a few words from H.E. Ambassador Cary, with toast to their Majesties, the monarchs
- more eating, genteel debauchery, etc.
Our menu was a traditional Swedish smörgåsbord. Those attending had a fine outside winter view of the Stockholm skyline and waterfront, and one couple enjoyed the opportunity to lodge on the ship. The venue was special, warm & cozy, and the food was tasty. All 24 people attending had a fine time.
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Oslo lecture
Oxford University Society Nordic Chairperson Alyson Bailes, Director of SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) spoke to a joint event of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Norwegian Oxford group on 'Which Nordic Responses to American Hegemony?' The event was held Friday 21 October from 10:00-11:00 at NUPI's premises in East Oslo (C.J. Hambros plass 2D, 0033 Oslo). Contact person was Dr Iver B Neumann:
Iver.Neumann@nupi.no
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A tiny informal gathering of Oxford & related people met Thursday 27 October from 20:00 - 22:00 at Café Cultura in Reykjavík Iceland (address Hverfisgata 18; same building as the Intercultural House). This was a simple social get-together with hope to lay the groundwork for future Icelandic activities. Contact person Eliza Reid:
eliza@elizareid.com
Icelandic activities have commenced! See:
http://www.oxbridge.is
The Icelandic Oxford and Cambridge University Alumni Society
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Chris Patten (now Lord Patten of Barnes, Chancellor of Oxford University, former EU Commissioner for External Relations and former Governor of Hong Kong) visited Stockholm on Friday 28 October.
The Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) for their joint 'Changing Institutions' series, held a public lecture by Lord Patten: "Europe in the World"
The presentation was chaired by Ambassador Rolf Ekéus, Chairman of SIPRI’s Governing Board and the OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities. Time was available for questions and answers after the presentation, held at the
Stockholm School of Economics (Sveavägen 65, AULA)
Ambassador Anthony & Mrs. Clare Cary subsequently offered the Oxford Society Nordic the hospitality of their residence (Laboratoriegatan 8, Stockholm), where members enjoyed a drink & discussion together with our Chancellor.
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Oxford University Society Nordic
Thursday 11th August 2005, from 12:00 - 13:00+
at the Bank of Finland
Rauhantkatu 19, Helsinki
20 people attending
David Mayes and the Bank of Finland hosted a reception for the Honourable Michael J Beloff QC, MA Oxon, FRSA, FICPD, President of Trinity College, a past President of the Oxford Union and a barrister who has worked many years with dispute resolution for top level sport. Michael Belloff was in Helsinki as a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport for the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics. He and fellow Achilles member Jeffery Archer joined an eager circle of non-vacationers for a compelling discussion of top-level sport and a friendly period of fellowship. (This success has led our Finnish Chapter to begin planning a dinner for January).
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Oxford University Society Nordic
Thursday 9 June 2005, from 18:00 - ...
at the British Ambassador's Residence
Laboratoriegatan 8, Stockholm
50+ participants
Ambassador & Mrs. Clare Cary hosted the Society and our Cambridge counterparts to an excellent reception welcoming The Honourable Michael J Beloff QC, MA Oxon, FRSA, FICPD; President of Trinity College (Oxford). Sir Marrack Goulding of St Antony's and distinguished diplomat Rolf Ekéus were among the many distinguished guests.
It was a fine function. Hearty thanks to our hosts!
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Oxford University Society Nordic
Tuesday 15 February 2005
at Mannheimer Swartling Law Offices
( Norrmalmstorg 4, Stockholm )
Meeting room A at reception floor, one floor up from entrance
17:30 for 18:00 (ending by 20:30)
22 people attended our round-table on:
"Inside the Media - Mastering the Demands of Journalists and Broadcasters"
The introductory speaker was Roz Morris, managing director of the
company TV News London, who is visiting Sweden for the first time together
with her husband Malcolm Douglas (producer of the British breakfast TV show
"GMTV"), and who studied history at Somerville College at same time as your
Chairperson. A summary of Roz's current work and c.v. is below.
A respondent from the Swedish media, Disa Håstad from Dagens Nyheter, compared
Roz's account & advice with conditions prevailing in Sweden. There were many questions & answers and an open discussion.
We finished with drinks & buffet (Lebanese meze), departing at around 21:30.
Roz Morris, Managing Director, TV News London Ltd
Roz founded her company, TV News London, 12 years ago and has great
experience as a media trainer and communications consultant, as well as a
long career as a British broadcaster and journalist. She has held senior
posts in TV and radio and as a writer for national newspapers and
magazines. She has trained many chief executives and senior business staff
in handling the media effectively and professionally, and is (inter alia)
accredited as an official trainer for the Independent Television Association.
After leaving Somerville College Oxford with a degree in Modern History,
Roz became successively the youngest woman ever to work for The Observer
and for The Guardian newspaper. More recently she has written columns and
features i.a. for the London Evening Standard and Northern Echo. Her work
in television included being a news reporter and presenter for BBC TV, ITN,
Thames TV, and Tyne Tees TV (in North-East England), where she became the
first woman ever in that region to present a weekly political and business
programme and won an award for best regional documentary.
Outside work, Roz is married with three grown up children and two
grandchildren. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a school
governor and a member of City Women's Network and the Somerville Media
Group. She is also on the Executive Committee of the Women of the Year
lunch.
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Oxford University Society Nordic
New Year's Dinner in Gustav III's Haga Park, Copper Tent Värdshuset
24 Jan (Monday) 2005
18:30 for 19:00, ended about 21:30
30 people attended
30 members of the Oxford University Society Nordic and their partners got together just north of Stockholm in historic Haga
Park's Copper Tent Värdshuset for New Year's festivities.
During the evening, H.E. the British Ambassador Anthony Cary offered a
few words of welcome for the New Year. We also had a brief musical
program of Bellman songs from the male voice quartet Chorus Virorum setup
by Christopher Lagerqvist.
We enjoyed a nice dinner package, partially subsidized by our Chairperson and André Andersson so the cost would be more-manageable to members. Fantastic!
location:
Värdshuset Koppartälten
Hagaparken
Solna 169 70
Tel: 08 - 27 70 02
Fax: 08 - 730 45 48 or fax@koppartalten.se
leif.olsson@koppartalten.se
map via:
http://www.koppartalten.se/kontakt.shtml
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The 123rd Varsity Match for rugby was held at Twickenham on 7 December 2004. Oxford won, 18-11. Our Oxford University Society Alumni Office had a programme:
http://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/rugby2004.shtml
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We had an autumn lecture and social event at SIPRI in Stockholm:
17 November (Wed) 17:30 for 18:00
Richard Guthrie of SIPRI spoke on
"Bio-weapons, how afraid should we be?"
His talk was followed by a brief tour of the SIPRI facilities, with drinks and snacks in the canteen area.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Signalistgatan 9
169 70 Solna
Hopefully we may eventually meet there again. Reach SIPRI by public transport: bus 508, 509, 515 or 177 to Frösunda or the commuter train to Solna Station.
http://www2.sipri.se/sipri/address.html
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Stockholm Royal Armoury Event
Exclusive for the Oxford University Society Nordic
Provided by D.Phil. (Ph.D.) Candidate Per Sandin (Uppsala University)
THREE GUN SHOTS IN THE HISTORY OF SWEDEN
A Historical Tour at the Royal Armoury, Stockholm
Sunday 19 September 2004, from 3:30 - 5:00 PM
A delightful visit! Details were announced as follows:
"The Royal Armoury is an award-winning museum situated in an atmospheric cellar vault beneath the Royal Palace in Stockholm. The collections promise magical encounters with Sweden's royal history, for everyone from 9 to 99. The magnificent costumes are in gold-brocade from coronations and royal weddings, gilded carriages, weapons and armour. Inside, we will find Gustavus Adolphus' bloody shirts, elk-hide buff coat and horse from the Battle of Ltzen in 1632, Charles XII's muddy uniform from the siege of Fredriksten fortress in 1718 and the masquerade costume worn by Gustav III at that fateful masked ball in 1792."
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British Ambassador & Mrs. Anthony Cary hosted a well-attended drinks reception on 17 May 2004 for the Oxford University Society Nordic and our counterparts from Cambridge. Some four dozen people greatly enjoyed the hospitality of the Ambassador's residence. There were wide-ranging discussions amongst our group and with the other guests, who included former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix.
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Behind the Scenes at Uppsala University - the "Swedish Oxford"
Saturday 17 April 2004
The Oxford University Society Nordic was warmly welcomed to Uppsala University. An excellent event!
Programme
14:15 Welcome to the "Swedish Oxford"
14:15-14:45 Reception and Words of Welcome
from the Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University,
Professor Bo Sundqvist,
including refreshments in the Faculty Rooms
14:45-15:30 Guided Tour of the University Main Building
15:30-16:30 The Uppsala Tradition of Advancing the Frontiers of Knowledge
(Professor Stig Strömholm)
16:30-17:30 Academic Tour Guide of Uppsala City (provided by host)
17:30- Academic Dinner at Norrlands Nation, including:
· Pre-dinner drinks
· Welcome speech by host
· Comments on the Oxford University Society Nordic
· Self-introductions by those present
· Traditional Swedish buffet (Smörgårdsbord)
23:40 Last train to Stockholm
Christopher Lagerqvist
Host and proud member of Oxford University Society Nordic
Alyson Bailes
Oxford University Society Nordic, Chairperson
Bruce Henry Lambert
Oxford University Society Nordic, Secretary
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Oxford University Society Nordic
in conjunction with the
Harvard Club of Finland (organizer)
and the Stanford Club
Tuesday 16 March 2004 from 6:00 PM
meeting at the Bank of Finland, Rahamuseo, Snellmaninkatu 2, Helsinki
"Finland's Challenges & Strategies For Survival In The Globalizing World"
Panel Discussion:
· Will best companies and people stay in Finland?
· How to ensure that Finland will succeed economically in the future?
· What can we learn from cases elsewhere?
The program included a presentation by Bank of Finland Director Pentti Hakkarainen and a light supper sponsored by Bank.
Panelists:
Economist David Mayes, Bank of Finland
Professor Matti Pohjola, Helsinki School of Economics & Business Administration
Member of Parliament, Martin Saarikangas
Economist Antti Suvanto, Bank of Finland
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Oxford University Society Nordic
Monday 19 January 2004
at Villa Sperata
( Norevägen 9, Djursholm )
19:00 to 21:30
OUS Nordic New Year's Party
Our Oxford University Society Nordic New Year's Party was held on a snowy evening 19 January, 2004. Of 29 people booked, all braved the cold and arrived safely outside Stockholm to Djursholm's elegant Villa Sperata, where we enjoyed the hospitality of Richard Lewis Communications along with good fellowship and cheer. We were welcomed by Michael Gates and Charles Rankin; OUS Secretary Bruce Lambert subsequently gave a summary of our Society's developments and challenges. An Italian buffet was followed by toasts led by OUS Nordic Chairperson Alyson Bailes, she in turn introducing H.E. Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Anthony Cary, who offered words of humour & encouragement, and a pledge of support. It was a fine evening with new friends & developing possibilities for both members and their partners; a good start to the New Year!
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Oxford University Society Nordic
Monday 1 December 2003
at Mannheimer Swartling Law Offices
( Norrmalmstorg 4, Stockholm )
17:00 to 19:30
"The impact of Tony Blair on British Foreign Policy"
presented by
Dr Anne Deighton
Lately Fellow of Wolfson College and Director of the European Interdependence Research Unit at St Antony's College, now a senior staff member at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Oxford alumni and specially invited guests from the British embassy enjoyed a dynamic presentation by Dr Anne Deighton examining 'the Blair effect' and how the Prime Minister is working to shape Britain's role in the world. Lively discussion was followed by a light Lebanese meze buffet, kindly sponsored by Mannheimer Swartling.
Moderator:
Alyson Bailes (Somerville)
Director of SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) &
Chairperson, Oxford University Society Nordic
Host:
André Andersson (Christ Church)
Mannheimer Swartling, Stockholm
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Oxford University Society Nordic
Monday 24 November 2003
Wollmar Yxkulls gata 6, Stockholm
starting at 18:30
Video film: "Gaudy Night"
Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries (Lord Peter Wimsey - Harriet Vane)
(1987) BBC TV adaptation; with Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter in the leading roles. A film in four 50-minute episodes, providing a chance for brief breaks.
Oxford University Society Nordic Chairperson Alyson Bailes (Somerville) welcomed a small contingent for drinks, snacks and an Oxford-related film.
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On the 23rd September 2003 a dozen people gathered in Stockholm for fruitful discussions about the Oxford University Society Nordic, supplemented by suggestions sent by various people unable to attend. We thus set into motion the process of getting the OUS Nordic into active mode.
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Why are we the Oxford University Society Nordic, and not OUS-Sweden, Denmark, etc.?
First, there has been a gap in all of the Nordic region, without regularly active formal Oxford alumni circles.
Second, convenient distances are without regard to national boundaries. Members on our Sweden list are separated by up to 900 miles; in the Oresund region, on other hand, it is a now a 35 minute drive from Lund/Malmo to Copenhagen. Many people travel more regularly between Stockholm and Helsinki than between north and south Sweden. Gothenburg members are physically closer to Oslo than to Stockholm.
The many members in Sweden, for example, who are 300 miles or more from Stockholm are ill-served if getting enticing notices of far-off events. An Oresund chapter, however, might include the 60+ alumni in Sweden & Denmark. Those people who are truly isolated can at least be kept informed of regional events.
We propose to use this central website to share news and information from various parts of the Nordic region. This website should be a useful meso-level tool to encourage critical mass and announce events that might at times trigger considerable travel effort. Specific activities should be generated in branches / local chapters headed up by those among us with energy and spark.
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Various activities of years past ("ancient lore") will be detailed here. If you have older Oxford / Nordic knowledge, please share it!
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For more information or to assist with activities, contact:
Dr. Bruce Henry Lambert
bruce@reorient.com
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