Celebrating 10 years of Newcastle University China Alumni Association
2026 marks a landmark anniversary in our global alumni community as we celebrate a decade of our longest-standing and largest international network, the Newcastle University China Alumni Association (NUCAA).
6 April 2026
To mark the special occasion, we caught up with NUCAA Founder, Newcastle University Business School graduate Tracey Peiyan Wu (BSc Marketing, 2014).
Arriving in Newcastle at the age of 18, Tracey Peiyan Wu quickly became involved with the Chinese Student Scholars Association on campus, which serves to connect our large Chinese student population with the local community. Having served as the Association’s President in her final year at Newcastle University Business School, Tracey initiated the development of a companion association for alumni after returning to China as a Marketing graduate.
Tracey, joined by a dedicated team of alumni volunteers, organises regular social gatherings, career development opportunities and offers support to recent graduates and current students.
Today, the Newcastle University China Alumni Association (NUCAA) has thousands of members and regional societies across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu and Fujian – making it our largest alumni network in the world!
And with 2026 marking 10 years since Tracey established NUCAA, we caught up with her to find out more about the planned celebrations, her favourite memories from the past decade and what Chinese alumni can look forward to in the future.
Continuing the bonds formed on campus
Newcastle became my second home while I was a student and is a crucial chapter that changed my life, not least because it’s where I met my husband!
When I returned to China in 2015, I found it truly regrettable that so many of my fellow alumni had lost touch with each other without the platform of a network like the Newcastle University Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) to assist connections.
I hoped alumni could have the opportunity to continue the bonds formed at university, supporting each other both professionally and personally. Within just three days, our initiative received an enthusiastic response and support from thousands of alumni.
Over the past decade, we have actively organised a wide variety of events, including industry networking sessions, career fairs, sports days and Christmas parties. In 2022, we had volunteers helping the elderly in communities with pandemic prevention efforts and have also supported the university’s NCL in Action programme in recent years.
Today, we have dozens of online communities, through which alumni can connect and collaborate seamlessly. Our communities feature local news, job postings, answers to queries, updates on Newcastle University, event information, and other useful resources for alumni. It is especially important for recent graduates to join, as they can connect with experienced senior alumni to find jobs, make friends with shared interests, or even find potential business partners!
Hitting the 10-year milestone
This year marks 10 years since we first established NUCAA, and in January, we launched our celebration activities in Shenzhen – and yes, a birthday cake was part of these celebrations!
That’s not the end of the celebrations though, with anniversary events being planned for various cities across China in 2026 and a commemorative video of alumni memories in the works. We welcome all alumni to join us and witness this significant moment! The best way for alumni to keep up-to-date with our celebration plans is to follow the official NUCAA WeChat account (search ‘iNewcastle’).
We’re also excited to be partnering with the university to hold a three-course Gala Dinner in Shanghai in May, which is open to all alumni based in China and any Chinese nationals who would like to make the trip to join in with the celebrations!
Date and time: Saturday 16 May 2026, 17:00 - 21:00 (CST)
Location: Fairmont Peace Hotel, 20 Nanjing East Rd, Shanghai
Keep an eye out on your emails and on our WeChat for further information about registrations opening soon.
I hoped alumni could have the opportunity to continue the bonds formed at university, supporting each other both professionally and personally. Within just three days, our initiative received an enthusiastic response and support from thousands.
Looking to the future
I am very excited about the future of NUCAA. As our alumni develop and grow, our association will become stronger and our influence will expand. We hope NUCAA can have a positive impact on regional development, the advancement of Newcastle University, and global sustainable development.
I’m also looking forward to one day returning to Newcastle with my husband – a fellow Newcastle graduate – and showing our child where we spent our student days!
Get involved with Newcastle University China Alumni Association
Now in its tenth year, NUCAA aims to strengthen connections between the UK and China and between Newcastle University and its global alumni community.
With around 2,000 Chinese students on campus at any one time, there are large pockets of Newcastle in communities across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Fujian, Anhui, Chengdu & Chongqing, Tianjin, Shanxi and 15 other prefecture-level cities, all ready to serve our graduates!
If you are a Newcastle University graduate living and working in China, connect with NUCAA to benefit from:
- Career development opportunities and events
- Alumni fellowships
- Business communications
- Socialising events
- Volunteering opportunities
Connect on social media
- WeChat Official Account: iNewcastle
- Weibo Official Account or search in Chinese“英国纽卡斯尔大学校友会”
For further information, please contact the Chair of NUCAA, Tracey Peiyan Wu via WeChat: 15919949062 or email.