This new Alumni Chapter was launched with a celebratory event on 29th April.
CCLS Alumni members in the Philippines formally launched the CCLS Alumni Philippines Chapter on April 29 in a gathering held at the UP BGC Campus in Metro Manila. Joining the launch were former students from the pioneer batch of Filipinos who attended Queen Mary back in 1990, as well as the most recent graduates from the class of 2022. Notable alumni members, Prof. Danilo Concepcion (Former President of the University of the Philippines) and Hon. Banuar Falcon (Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Antipolo City), took part in the event.
In his video message to the local chapter, CCLS Director Professor Ioannis Kokkoris acknowledged the alumni’s key role as ambassadors of the country and emphasized the value of a vibrant alumni organization. In alignment with Professor Kokkoris and with a vision of bringing the alumni together to create a community for camaraderie, legal learning, and support, the organizing committee shared the Chapter’s upcoming activities. These include a send-off for the Filipino students of the next intake, social events, and educational webinars. Joint events with other alumni chapters are likewise anticipated with an invitation already coming from the CCLS Indonesia Alumni Chapter’s Co-Chair, Firdausi Firdaus.
As the evening progressed, the launch became a space for members to reminisce on shared experiences in Queen Mary London and Paris, and to come up with ideas for the Chapter’s future. Among the members’ suggestions is to have a socials night welcoming back the recent graduates and several fundraising efforts to enable the chapter to expand.
Alumni member Alex Ferdinand Fider (Commercial and Corporate Law LLM, 1990) said about the event, “It was a very nice get together…recalling our Queen Mary days makes one simply grateful for the learning opportunity we had … Looking forward to our next meeting.” Committee co-head Marijo Alcala (Technology, Media and Telecommunication Law LLM, 2020) also said, “We are grateful for the support of the alumni. Their enthusiasm inspires us to continue growing the chapter and to keep the members engaged.”
The Philippine Chapter will next host a send-off for the incoming students in the third quarter of 2023. For inquiries about the chapter and/or how to participate or support the activities, please feel free to contact CCLS Alumni Manager on ccls-alumni@qmul.ac.uk e-mail the Chapter Directly qmul.ccls.ph@gmail.com.
You can watch the presentation on Queen Mary YouTube Channel.