Visitors to the University of Aberdeen’s annual Open Day are to be offered the opportunity to become part of a global phenomenon – involving free hugs.
Embraces and welcoming cuddles will be on offer for the 5000 prospective students, family and friends expected to attend the Open Day on August 26, which is designed to introduce potential new scholars to the University.
Taking inspiration from the now internationally recognised cult free hug movement, University of Aberdeen student Duncan Taylor will be distributing the reassuring squeezes throughout the day's proceedings.
The University of Aberdeen Student Association film society Cinergy will be filming during the Open Day, capturing clinches on camera. The footage will be edited into a movie to be screened during the second Fresher's Week Film Festival in September.
Now widely acknowledged and executed across the world, the free hugs campaign was first initiated by Australian Juan Mann in 2004. Juan's sole mission was to bring people together in what he felt was an age of social disconnectivity.
The film of Juan distributing free hugs which was subsequently posted on the internet has received over 28 million hits to date.
Providing free hugs during Open Day aims to make potential new students feel welcome, as Rachel Sandison, Head of Student Recruitment and Admissions, University of Aberdeen explains:
"The University of Aberdeen's annual Open Day provides prospective students with the opportunity to discover all that the University has to offer. From touring the facilities and meeting with academic staff, to gaining one to one feedback from current undergraduates, the event is designed to provide a thorough insight into life on campus.
"Selecting the university which you are going to attend can be an extremely daunting prospect, with a multitude of decisions and an array of choices facing new students. Offering free hugs at the event is just one of the ways in which we will be making visitors feel welcome. It's hoped that a reassuring embrace from a friendly face will alleviate fears and set a relaxed and fun tone for the day!"
Duncan McKay, President, University of Aberdeen Students' Association adds: "The Open Day provides the ideal opportunity to showcase the fact that the University of Aberdeen is a friendly and spirited place with a wealth of activities and facilities for students.
"The free hugs aspect of the occasion is designed to engage visitors with the University from the moment they step onto campus and make them truly feel part of the event. It is hoped that attendees will feel encouraged to see if they have made it to the final cut of the free hugs film which will produced and screened at the inaugural Fresher's Week Film Festival."
Booking is essential for the University of Aberdeen Open Day and prospective students must log on to www.abdn.ac.uk/openday to register their place or call Student Recruitment and Admissions on 0800 027 1495, or email: href="mailto:openday@abdn.ac.uk">openday@abdn.ac.uk</a></p>