Alumni Association : University of East Anglia (UEA)

04/09/2026

60 years ago, we welcomed some of the very first members of our alumni community. 1966 saw our first Bachelor's graduation ceremony where 78 students celebrated completing their studies and becoming some of the very first UEA graduates.

Members of the original UEA cohort have been kind enough to get in touch and share some photos of the ceremony, along with some press cuttings. Thank you to Richard Belcher (BIO63) and Simon Littlejohn (BIO63) for their photos, and to Adrian Smith (BIO63) for sourcing the press cuttings.

01/09/2026

UEA has made it to National Geographic! 🎬🌍

Academics from across University of East Anglia feature in Threads of Connectivity, a new mini-documentary series narrated by Andy Serkis.

Through cinematic storytelling and expert insight, the series explores the technologies and networks shaping how we live, work and communicate – including smart cities, biotechnology, power grids and transport.

The first five episodes are available now, with five more coming this autumn.

What development in technology or connectivity has had the biggest impact on your life since leaving UEA?

Read more: https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/uea-academics-feature-in-new-national-geographic-mini-series

Image: Prof Tom Hargreaves

14/08/2026

"I knew I wanted to write TV from a young age, but it seemed like a bit of a pipe dream. At University of East Anglia I got the chance to explore lots of different interests and hear from other grads at Working with Words, which was such a valuable event. I used the summer holidays to get various bits of work experience on daytime TV, at an advertising agency and in a newspaper office, but the ambition of writing TV drama never really left. Today I balance my job in the House of Lords as a Hansard Reporter with building my career as a television writer."

Thanks to Natalie Froome (LDC15) for talking to us recently about her time at UEA, what it's been like building her writing career, and being recognised by BBC Voices London Hub.

Read the full interview here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/blog/becoming-a-writer-after-uea

06/08/2026

"Music was great fun and meant you could get instant feedback on your material – the audience liked it or they didn’t – and I found that really helpful. The first comedy writing for TV I did was for Harry Enfield – Stavros and then Loadsamoney. Although the feedback wasn’t instant, we’d write the sketches during the week, and he’d be up on stage doing it in front of a live studio audience on the weekend."

It was great to welcome Charlie Higson back to campus recently. Attending as part of the Norwich History Festival, Charlie came to talk about his book on the British Monarchy. He was kind enough to give us some time and reminisce about being in a band at UEA in the 1970s and meeting Paul Whitehouse here.

Read the full interview here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/blog/charlie-higson-returns-to-campus

Picture: UEA’s Professor Claire Jowitt, left, in conversation with Charlie Higson, right, in July 2026 at UEA as part of the Norwich History Festival (Photo Credit: David Kirkham)

24/07/2026

Sister Alessandra Smerilli (ECO06), who completed her PhD in Economics at UEA, has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV as Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

This picture shows UEA's Professor Robert Sugden with Sister Alessandra Smerilli at the Vatican in 2025, following their attendance at an Italian economics conference.

The appointment makes her only the third woman to lead a Vatican dicastery - one of the Holy See's most senior administrative offices. Congratulations!

Read more: https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/university-of-east-anglia-alumna-appointed-to-senior-vatican-role

Picture credit: Prof Sugden.

23/07/2026

14/07/2026

🎓 Graduation is well under way on campus!

A huge congratulations to everyone graduating from University of East Anglia (UEA) this week. We hope you have a wonderful time celebrating everything you’ve achieved with your friends, family and fellow graduates.

You’re now joining our vast global alumni community and we’re so pleased to welcome you!

And for those of you who are alumni already, it's a great opportunity to reflect on your own graduation memories. Here's a few pictures from graduation ceremonies through the ages.

01/07/2026

A legacy gift can continue opening doors for years to come.

University of East Anglia’s Romani and Traveller Early Literacies (ROMLIT) programme is now being adopted by schools and organisations across England, supporting Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children through storytelling, family knowledge and shared learning.

Funded by the Joyce Morris Legacy Fund for Early Years Literacies, the programme has already trained more than 300 teachers and early-years practitioners, with new resources and a national storybook due to launch this September.

Dr Joyce Morris OBE’s generous £750,000 legacy gift to UEA continues to support research that values children’s voices, cultures and lived experiences and creates new opportunities for learning.

Read more about ROMLIT and its national rollout:
https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/gypsy-roma-and-traveller-storytelling-inspires-national-literacy-rollout

Learn more about leaving a gift in your will to UEA:
https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/giving-to-uea/gifts-in-wills

24/06/2026

Many of us are following the World Cup at the moment, and it's given us the impetus to revisit a brilliant piece of University of East Anglia football history ⚽

When Dr John Sutton (ENV73) arrived at UEA in 1973, joining the Football Society became a defining part of his university experience.

After earning a place in the First XI, John represented UEA in competitions across the south-east and in the local Norfolk league. The highlight came in 1975, when the team defeated Oxford Polytechnic 3–2 to win the Southern Students Football League Cup, fighting back after falling two goals behind!

“Being part of the First XI is among my most cherished memories from UEA. Football enriched my university experience and helped me make the most of everything UEA had to offer.”

Five decades later, John is still enjoying the sport through walking football and values the same sense of camaraderie that made his time at UEA so memorable.

He also continues to support UEA helping today’s students make the most of their own university experience.

Were you involved in a UEA sports club or society? We would love to hear your memories.

📸
Photo 1: UEA First XI, 1975 cup winners.
Photo 2: SCORE magazine cover, May–June 1975.
Photo 3: 1975 UEA sports magazine page.
Photo 4: John Sutton Now