Friends of International House, UK Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Friends of International House, United Kingdom (FIHUK) celebrated its 20th anniversary with a day-long series of events in London on May 9.
Alumni representing decades from the 1960s to the present took part in the events, with proceeds from ticket sales going toward financial aid for I-House residents from conflict-affected countries.
Following a brunch at EL&N Brompton, reputed to be London’s most Instagrammable café, participants headed to the V&A Museum for a guided tour by Nadia Denton of the “Beyond the Artefacts: The African Gaze” exhibition in the Europe 1600-1815 galleries. Denton is an official African Heritage Guide across three leading museums in London, including the Tate Modern, where she led a memorable tour during FIHUK’s I-House Centennial Weekend last year.
Later in the day, an afternoon tea salon was hosted by Erika and Maurits Dolmans ’86 at their home in Hampstead, where alumni enjoyed performances by guitarist Ayman Jarjour ’00, cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson ’11 and violinist Sabina Rakcheyeva ’04. The group heard from I-House President & CEO Sebastian Fries, who thanked FIHUK Board President Patricia Hamzahee ’83, along with board members, hosts, and performers for planning and organizing the activities.
Topping off the celebration, participants gathered for a traditional Pub Night, hosted by FIHUK Trustee Tomas Hazleton ’91, at London’s International Student House in the congenial atmosphere of its pub, the Thirsty Scholar.
During the celebration, FIHUK welcomed three recently-elected trustees: Leili Alikhani ’98, Mariem Bouchaala ’14, and Eugene McKee ’24, who were actively involved in organizing the day’s events.
FIHUK’s origins go back to 2001, when then-I-House President Don Cuneo sought to create alumni chapters on the model of Germany’s Freunde des I-House, through which alumni could make tax-favored contributions to the House.
Activities began in 2002, when World Council members Mami Urano ’87, Alyson King ’00 and Ayman Jarjour ’00 organized and hosted a pan-European weekend of gatherings and activities in and around London.
In early 2004, I-House Board Chair Paul A. Volcker and then-Development Director John Wells hosted a breakfast in Holborn, with the goal of identifying alumni who could help establish a “UK Friends of I-House.” One of the attendees, Elizabeth Katkin ’91, offered to assume the task of looking into the requirements of establishing what would become FIHUK.
Two years later, thanks to the pro bono efforts of Katkin and her then law firm Hogan & Hartson, FIHUK was officially registered as a charity, and formally launched at a reception at the Savoy, underwritten by Lord Sainsbury (David Sainsbury ’70), in September, 2006. The founding trustees were Katkin, Nicolas Kahale ’80, and Haroon Hassan ’03, FIHUK’s first board president.
“For two decades, FIHUK has helped further the I-House mission in many ways,” Fries told the group in his recorded message. “You have brought alumni together, and supported current residents with financial aid. We truly appreciate it.”