This Virtual Roundtable was held on the <\/span>27\/May\/2020. This session focused on the management of alumni communities around the world. Delegates from 16 institutions and schools joined to learn and share how to develop international engagement programmes and tackle similar challenges. <\/span><\/p>\n Below we present the highlights and takeaways from this Creating Connection event.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/i>Creating Connection events are for members of the Community Builders network. If your work involves building community, managing networks or strengthening<\/span> affinity, it is free for you to join. Introducing the topic and first spotlight speaker, Dr Maria, KITE Education<\/span><\/p>\n Maria Gallo, Research Fellow and founder of KITE<\/b><\/p>\n Maria’s Global Alumni Whitepaper<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.keepintoucheducation.com\/resources<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Maria’s guest blog for Aluminati:<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.aluminati.net\/global-alumni-volunteers\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n A new alumni relations trend – the participation of governments! – What does this look like?<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Is your university part of a wider collaborative network of universities? Examples are:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0There are many more. <\/span>Ask your Institutional Research Office if they are aware of the networks that your university is proudly affiliated with both nationally and internationally. Two of my own alma maters are University College Dublin and University of Sheffield are WUN members. These may seem random, but if you are thinking of doing an event in a new country, perhaps you could outreach to another one of these networks OR if you wish to arrange an online events based on the findings of the knowledge work of these networks out to alumni, this could be a strategic way to collaborate.\u00a0 They could also be a shared way to find universities to get support or insight into their alumni work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Nena Grceva, Head of Alumni Relations at Central European University (CEU)<\/b><\/p>\n The Central European University (Grad school, Has dual accreditation: American and Hungarian based in Budapest, and now a site in Vienna. Has 1600 students annually that come from 120 countries), 6 staff members to focus on alumni engagement working closely with fundraising and careers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Zoom in to microlevel from the macro approach that Maria spoke about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Everything we do by default is international and global.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We have a robust volunteer engagement programme all over the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How the new normal has changed our approach?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n For example, we hosted our Alumni Reunion, even a Gala night online (previously a ticketed, fancy event, now free and online) – 200 alumni attended this online Gala! Added an interactive element of preparing a picture or word about their university experience to share with attendees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n TU Delft – example that combines both approaches (government & universities) – Formed the Dutch Engineers Alumni Network together with 3 other universities to reach international alumni.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Nena, CEU describes the challenges of online events.<\/span><\/p>\n Challenges:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Increased no-show (50%)<\/span><\/p>\n Thematic events in fall\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All free events (no revenue)<\/span><\/p>\n But despite challenges, there is huge potential for online engagement opening up new spaces for CEU.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Maria\u2019s advice:<\/b> Ask your alumni what their questions are and what they want and need at this time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Durham University – how to do networking on online events?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Use Breakout rooms function in Zoom<\/span><\/p>\n Some platforms like Hoppin also have specific networking features for events<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Question Swansea: Do you host international events for prospective students, current students and alumni?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n TU Delft<\/b> does – through an academic visiting country, host events at the embassy or consul\u2019s house, which also saves costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Bath <\/b>– some events with offer holders, alumni, invite parents, shared budget with recruitment team. Taiwan, pick 10 alum to go to offer holder conversion events. Brief on key messages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n China Q&A – supply 1 or 1 alum to each event for recruitment team and are looking at taking those online. These happen in Hong Kong as well.<\/span><\/p>\n University of Lincoln <\/b>– they have an International Ambassadors programme – they train them in their 3rd year as students, and once they graduate they will be in-country supporting activity. They provide key messages to share with markets.<\/span><\/p>\n Some success stories of government-led alumni initiatives?<\/b><\/p>\n Still a new field of engagement<\/span><\/p>\n The Chevening collaborations<\/span><\/p>\n Aluminati themselves have created two initiatives to tailor the platform to specific needs of clients at this time: <\/span><\/p>\n Admissions Retentions Platform: <\/span> https:\/\/www.aluminati.net\/offer-holder-solution\/<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This was a friendly, relaxed virtual roundtable of engagement professionals. All attendees confirmed they had found it useful and were keen to have dates set for future events. Aluminati will shortly be sending invites to the next two roundtable events. If you want to be kept in the loop please join our Community Builders network below.<\/p>\n Aluminati’s COVID-19 Support Packages<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Aluminati have created two initiatives to support the short term emergency response requirements of the education sector:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Student Admissions Retentions Platform: <\/span> https:\/\/www.aluminati.net\/offer-holder-solution\/<\/span><\/a>
\nSign up for your Community Builder’s membership<\/a>.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\nSPOTLIGHT 1<\/b>: <\/span>An Emerging International Trend: The creation of nation-wide alumni networks<\/b><\/h2>\n
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SPOTLIGHT 2<\/b>: <\/span>An Emerging International Trend: The creation of nation-wide alumni networks<\/b><\/h2>\n
Questions:<\/span><\/h2>\n
Open Roundtable Discussion<\/span><\/h1>\n
Aluminati\u2019s Crisis Responses<\/span><\/h2>\n
Session Feedback<\/h3>\n
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