Welcome to the September e-bulletin, which brings you the latest news about alumni events and activities, and updates from across the University.

Many thanks to those of you who took part in last month's Alumni Poll on Social Networking. As usual, the results can be found on our website.

Video and audio communication is emerging as a popular way to reach a wide audience effectively, and we would love to know what you think about it. Take our short Alumni Poll and help us to move forward in this ever expanding digital age! If there is anything that you would like to add in more detail, please email Anna Kay.

We are looking forward to welcoming you back to Cambridge for the Alumni Weekend in a couple of weeks time. You will not need to register when you arrive but do come and collect your name badge from the University Centre (Friday and Sunday) or the Law Faculty Building (Saturday only).

Remember that you can book on the day by visiting our help desk during the weekend. If you have already booked but haven't received an email from us in the past few days then just visit our Alumni Weekend website to download all the information you will need.

Additional events
'The Masks of Mer' is a special documentary screening by The Cambridge Film Consortium taking place on Friday 24 September at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse. To book please contact the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse 0871 902 5720.

Russell Group Universities Alumni Drinks
Thursday 30 September, Belfast
A free networking drinks evening for alumni in, around or just visiting Ireland. Held at the beautiful Queen's University Belfast, this is a great opportunity to meet alumni from The Russell Group partners which represent the 20 leading UK universities.

University of Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies - Public Forum
Various dates, London
World class experts engage directly with the public on topics of gender and radical bio-medical advances of the 21st Century. What can the latest advances tell us about gender, what will be possible in the future and why does it matter?

The Centre for Gender Studies, in association with The Guardian and supported by CUP, will be hosting 3 public debates. Come and join us.

Tickets available. Further information can be found online.

Festival of Ideas
20 - 31 October
The Festival of Ideas returns for a third year, celebrating the arts, humanities and social sciences with over 170 mostly free events for all ages! For more information and a programme, please call: 01223 766766 or visit the website.

Leading the Climate of Change
24 - 27 January 2011
Join other corporate and public sector senior executives to explore the business opportunities offered by taking action on climate change. This programme offers leading edge expertise and unrivalled access to new strategies and thinking. There is a 10% discount for CAMCard holders.

Cambridge tops world university ranking
The University of Cambridge has been named number one University in the world in the 2010 QS World University Rankings published last week, the first non-US University ever to top the list.

Against all odds: archaic Greek in a modern world
Inland from the Black Sea coast of Turkey is home to isolated enclaves of speakers of an endangered Greek dialect.

A legacy of talented researchers
From quantum physics to stem cells: the research of the University's first cohort of Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Research Fellows demonstrates the impact of a legacy.

Alumni Groups

Forthcoming alumni events can be found on our website. Check out what events Alumni Groups in Toronto, Berkshire, Ireland and Argentina, to name but a few, have got planned!

Do you want to find out what Alumni Groups get up to? Have a look at the Past Events section, and read reports from The Cambridge Society of Nova Scotia, The Cambridge Society in Nottinghamshire, the Kingston Cambridge and Oxford Society and many more. If you are a member of a Group do remember to send in the notices of your forthcoming events and reports on your past events to Jan Pudney.

There are more than 380 Alumni Groups all around the world and you can find all the contact details in our Alumni Worldwide Directory.

A Journey through Central Asia and Persia
5 – 22 April 2011
Accompanied by Islamic scholar Professor Charles Melville, explore the great lands of central Asia and Persia and the region's extraordinary cultural and artistic heritage in this unique trip next spring.

A message from the Vice-Chancellor

If you haven't had the opportunity to read this year's letter from the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Alison Richard, you can view it online.