University of Reading Alumni Celebration India Event Announced for New Delhi

The University of Reading's centenary will be officially celebrated throughout 2026, marking 100 years since it received its charter in 1926. The university has confirmed that a range of activities appropriate for a centenary will be held that year. While the 1926 charter is the focus of the celebrations, the institution's history actually dates back to the 1880s.

Recent developments in robotics will help the reading project mainly conceptualise well-planned, obvious celebrations, according to the Chronicle, made by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robert Van de Noort. 2026 has been made more like a full centenary celebration of events and exhibitions, with many University of Reading centenary-themed events, so as to showcase the institution's research and partnerships as well as its community engagement.

Centenary Community Festival and Student Activities

He highlighted the centenary community festival at Whiteknights Campus on 16 May 2026 as one of the major high points of such celebrations. The Festival will include live music, a range of participative activities, exhibitions, and a beer festival where local charities will be invited to come on board.

On the next day, celebrations at Forbury Gardens will include the revival of the RAG (Receive and Give) Parade with collaboration from the Students' Union. The Reading Students' Union centenary events are likely to raise funds and provide an opportunity for residents to be involved in the university's activities. Besides these major events, the university encourages public contributions to the University of Reading community Centenary Memories project, igniting hopes among alumni and residents to share stories and pictures that testify to the university's existence.

Gardens for Learning and Heritage Projects

A landmark initiative blending with the centenary is the creation of an outdoor learning garden within the historic walled garden at the Harris Botanical Gardens. The Vice-Chancellor explained that the garden would be used by schools in the region together with students and community groups, engaging young people in thinking about their role in supporting nature in the present climate change. The 15 schools involved will have planting carried out in the spring, with a summer opening of the garden. This event is part of the celebration program of the centenary of the University of Reading, which includes the Reading centenary heritage tour and the SITELINES Project and the Anniversary Exhibition of the University of Reading Whiteknights Campus.

Professor Van de Noort underlined that this year of celebration will be a springboard for future ambitions. Being a university that aims to maintain its identity as arguably one of the greenest in the UK during this year of celebration is only half the story; there's a further ambition to increase its international profile. The celebrations would also include a University of Reading alumni reunion worldwide, including the organisation of a University of Reading alumni celebration in India for a reception in New Delhi. The University of Reading alumni event in India, New Delhi, would demonstrate the university’s presence worldwide, so Reading’s philanthropic input would be reinstated.

The fact is that when the university initially made efforts to gain its charter in 1926, quite a significant part of its funding had been coming from the local community. The Vice-Chancellor hoped that the centenary anniversary might re-establish these relations, especially in the light of the current financial squeeze being experienced by higher institutions and students alike. The centenary celebrations of the University of Reading in the UK are likely to integrate heritage with the future aspirations of the institution. Right from the University of Reading Centenary Community Festival scheduled on May 16, 2026, to the receptions organised for the alumni abroad, the event showcases the past, along with the plans.

In short, the university will commemorate an entire year celebrating in residence the reconstruction of a history and legacy based on a hundred years ago, while looking to build an ever-stronger sense of community and alumni connections to follow with Reading into the bright future with a national and international perspective.

Editor’s Note:

In 2026, the university will celebrate its centenary with town-wide events commemorating 100 years since its charter, while also acknowledging its history, which stretches back to the 1880s. The Vice-Chancellor explicitly stated that the celebration's scope would be extensive and inclusive, featuring exhibitions, festivals, and community projects. These initiatives will serve to share information about the university's research, partnerships, and public mission with a wider audience. Within this context, the Centenary Community Festival on Whiteknights on 16 May will be about live music, practical activities, and charity involvement, bringing extra colour to resident engagement on campus. The town celebrations include the revived RAG Parade and Forbury Gardens activities organised by the Students' Union for the benefit of local causes. Meanwhile, the Centenary Memories project invites alumni and residents to provide stories and photographs to help build a common record of the past and present of the university. Further, the new outdoor learning garden at Harris Botanical Gardens plans to work with schools and community groups by inviting young people to engage in practical ways to support nature in combating climate change. From an analytical standpoint, the centenary year is well-suited to thrust off: heritage and service flow together with some definite aims toward sustainability and an international reach, such as hosting overseas alumni receptions in places like New Delhi. The approach seeks to enhance trust and philanthropy in this period of financial duress, one that builds upon Reading's historical orientations toward local support while broadening participation and pride in our community. This program links the very act of convening learning with place and purpose, rooting Reading yet in an outward direction.

Skoobuzz believes that Centenary plans are more than just a celebration; they are profoundly significant. They serve as an invitation for people to share memories, contribute to future aspirations, and demonstrate a university's commitment to honouring its history while actively investing in its community and the next generation.

FAQs

1. How old is the University of Reading?

The University of Reading was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, and received its Royal Charter in 1926. As of 2026, it will celebrate 100 years since becoming a university.

2. What is the Centenary Scholarship for the University of Reading?

The Centenary Scholarship is a special award created to mark the university’s 100th anniversary. It offers £4,000 as a tuition fee waiver for eligible international students at master’s level, with around 125 scholarships available for the 2026 intake.

3. When was the Reading University Library built?

The university’s first library opened in 1923 at the London Road campus. A new, purpose-built library was later constructed at the Whiteknights campus in 1964, reflecting the growth in student numbers and academic demand.

4. What is the University of Reading famous for?

The University of Reading is recognised for its research excellence, sustainability, and award-winning green campuses. It is among the UK’s top 30 universities globally, with strengths in agriculture, meteorology, business, and the arts. The Whiteknights campus has won the Green Flag Award 15 years in a row, making it one of Britain’s leading green spaces.

5. What is the UK's top-ranked university?

According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025, the University of Oxford is ranked as the number one university in the UK. In other rankings, Imperial College London and Cambridge also feature at the very top, but Oxford consistently holds the leading position