For the first time, the British Council ran our first ever Study UK Alumni Awards: EU region on Friday 26 February honouring the achievements of former students of UK universities from across Europe, with eight outstanding finalists and three final winners, two of whom were from France and one from Greece.

The online awards ceremony was hosted by Sheila Lumsden, Deputy Regional Director EU and it opened with a keynote from Professor Paul Boyle, Vice-Chancellor, Swansea University. Contributions were made by Professor Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University and Trustee of the British Council; and Matthew Lodge, Minister and Ambassador of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to UNESCO and Deputy Head of Mission, France.

We had 65 non-British Council attendees, including the British Ambassador to Greece, HE Kate Smith, CMG and representatives of UK Universities – an impressive turnout for a closed ‘prizegiving’ event like this. Winners and finalists have shared their stories in national media and blogposts, and we’re looking forward to hearing much more from them over the coming months.

Christel Adamou (France), Durham University commented, 'I am deeply honored and humbled to have been chosen as the recipient of the Study UK Professional Achievement Award 2021 in the EU Region. This award is testimony to the significant importance a UK education can play in opening doors to a great career. This experience has taught me patience, perseverance and resilience. I am convinced that getting a UK higher education equips you with the skillset required to become successful in a global career.'

Dr Orna Rosenfeld (France), University of Sheffield/University of Westminster also recently stated, 'I am earnestly grateful for the recognition of a decade of work for the advancement of the housing and affordable housing sector in the European Union and the Global North. Winning this award would not have been possible without the support and inspiration I have received from my seniors and my colleagues at the Sheffield and Westminster Universities, and most importantly, from the British Council and Chevening.'

If you want a bit of inspiration, check out the short videos we have with some of our finalists on EU region Instagram or read their bios and all about the awards on the website.

The full recording is available at https://vimeo.com/518967795.