Features | By Karen Lippoldt
Reconnecting with old friends and making new ones
Following the pandemic’s restrictions on social gatherings, this year saw the return of in-person events. Karen Lippoldt, Head of Alumni Relations, reflects on the successes of the year, and the ways the community has come together.
One of the things that our Alumni & Supporter Relations team missed most was the opportunity to bring alumni together in person. Our diverse, global network of alumni is one of the University’s key strengths. The contribution our alumni make to communities around the world, their impact on society and their commitment and dedication to the University, is something to be incredibly proud of. Therefore, despite the multitude of online opportunities available during the period of the pandemic, we were grateful for the return to more ‘normal’ circumstances. The importance of alumni having opportunities to come together again whether to see peers, expand professional or social networks, or support and engage with current students, was truly highlighted.
Bringing alumni back together
2023 saw a range of new events and the return of former programmes not possible during the pandemic.
In January, we launched a series of flagship overseas events, with the department organising large-scale gatherings alongside senior University leaders. So far this year, events have taken place in Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai and Athens. On each occasion, alumni from across City’s Schools were joined by fantastic academic and alumni speakers, all hosted by Professor André Spicer, Executive Dean of Bayes Business School.
The feedback we received from alumni was exceptional, and we were delighted to offer our former students these special opportunities to come together and reconnect.
“It was very nice to meet alumni from other courses and share experiences, and of course I was happy to see familiar faces and catch up!”
– Attendee at the Athens reception
“Great event! It was amazing to meet the alumni in the region.”
– Attendee at the Dubai reception
We are looking forward to working on more of these flagship events over the coming year and meeting more members of our global community.
Forging new friendships
Many alumni volunteers and members of our extensive Global Alumni Ambassador Network worked hard to bring their local communities together in a multitude of creative ways and settings.
Alumni in Lagos gathered for a dinner and awards-filled celebration at the end of 2022, while alumni in Indonesia came together for a day of golf. Alumni in Geneva enjoyed a wine tasting, while Bayes alumni in Mumbai and New Delhi joined with Warwick Business School for alumni soirees. Many other events have taken place over the last year, and we are profoundly grateful to all organisers and attendees.
We would encourage all our alumni to continue to reach out to each other and benefit from the strength of the bond you share and the special community to which you belong.
High profile London events
In London, a huge range of events have been taking place, allowing alumni to come together alongside staff and students. Highlights have included the annual Mais Lecture at Bayes, the STEM Alumni Awards, and the exciting launch of the ‘Pitch-it easy’ competition.
Our incredible Careers teams also continue to do so much to bring alumni together. We were delighted to join events such as the ever-popular MBA Careers Beers, and work with the teams on popular and topical panel events on Data Science, diversity within Psychology and creating a culture of wellbeing within the legal profession.
“I really enjoyed this event and it was so nice to be back. The panel members were fantastic, and the talk and Q&A session were very interesting and thought provoking.”
– Attendee at the alumni panel event Why Diversity is Important for Careers in Psychology
Thank you for your ongoing support
If you are involved with City – as a regional Alumni Ambassador or board member, an event speaker or host, a career mentor or research contributor, opening professional doors to current students or sharing your story, attending events or simply updating your details – we are very grateful for your time and support. We hope you continue to engage with us and each other and make the most of the extensive opportunities and networks available to you as a member of City’s global alumni community.
We look forward to hearing from you, sharing your news, and seeing you at future events.