Photographs from the event

Leicester Women of Influence Meet at The Reform Club

Penny Egan, Leicester alumna and Executive Director of The US-UK Fulbright Commission and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Christine Fyfe were hosts at a special luncheon for women at London’s Reform Club on 13 October 2011.

The occasion provided an opportunity for women of achievement from a diverse range of careers – from consultants and business leaders to prominent figures in law, medicine and the media – to exchange ideas over lunch.  What all those present shared in common was their affiliation with the University of Leicester – or Leicestershire - and an interest in the future of Higher Education.

In her welcome, Christine Fyfe spoke about the University’s recent successes and its continued ranking as a top 20 university, as well as the challenges and opportunities it faces along with the whole of the HE sector.  She emphasised the University’s current priority - to complete and equip the new Cardiovascular Research Centre at Glenfield Hospital through a £4m public appeal which is now in its final £1m phase.  The Centre will have a far-reaching impact on improving the health and life expectancy of patients and the public in Leicester and ultimately worldwide.

TV and radio personality, Maggie Philbin, entertained guests during the lunch with a humorous but informative talk about the importance of young people understanding the breadth of career possibilities in Science, Engineering and Technology.  She gave credit to the University of Leicester for its innovation in the sciences and for several of the discoveries that had put Leicester firmly on the map -the most renowned of which was the discovery of DNA Genetic Fingerprinting by Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys.

Photographs from the event