RUG Graduation Gift Album Amicorum wins international prize

The council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has awarded the Album Amicorum, the graduation gift from the University of Groningen, with a Gold Award. The book received the prize on account of ‘its beautiful design, compelling sense of place and contemporary take on an old concept’. CASE – with headquarters in the U.S. – are seen as the world's most important organization of professionals engaged in communication, alumni policy and fundraising in higher education.

The Album Amicorum, offered to masters and PhD students at their graduation ceremony, received the Gold Award from CASE in the category ‘Excellence in design: Books’. The jury: ‘The photography is stunning, and as a whole the book conveys a great sense of the university’s history, location, spirit, and the time in which students receiving the book attended the institution.’

Keepsake

For centuries, academics carried an Album Amicorum with them - otherwise known as a friendship book - in which memories of dear ones and special moments were collected. The Ubbo Emmius Fund from the RUG developed the Album Amicorum based on this tradition. The Album (a bound, luxury edition of 160 pages) is a lasting memento in words and especially images, of the student days, the city of Groningen and the University of Groningen. The book is designed to contain all sorts of elements that may personalize it, such as the possibility to put photos in it or for friends and lecturers to write in it.

Noorderlicht

The Album Amicorum was developed by Bert Wolfkamp from the Ubbo Emmius Fund in cooperation with the internationally renowned photo festival and publisher, Noorderlicht. In 2009, the first edition was also awarded a Silver Award by CASE. The 2014 edition has had a complete makeover and contains new photos, images and texts. For an idea of what the Album Amicorum looks like you can go to www.rug.nl/alumni/album .

More information

Contact: Bert Wolfkamp