Wh-questions with Alumni Relations

The mission of Alumni Relations is to foster a strong and vibrant community of alumni, to create meaningful connections, and facilitate lifelong engagement with the university. Among our services are: events, reunions, professional networking opportunities, opportunities for mentorship, alumni panels, and ongoing professional development. Also, in cooperation with the Career Development & Employer Relations Team we’ll offer career consultations for alumni. KLU Alumni Relations also facilitates opportunities for alumni to contribute their expertise through guest lectures and industry partnerships, thereby enriching the learning experiences of current students and fostering a culture of lifelong learning.

As a small private university, we can offer unique advantages in alumni relations due to our close-knit community of students, professors, and staff members. For example, our intimate campus environment makes it possible to foster stronger relationships between students as well as between students and faculty members. And these extend into the alumni years. Often, they operate in niche networks of the same interests and support each other’s careers. Also, the Career Development & Employer Relations team offers one-on-one consultations free of charge even after graduation. Since we have a better overview of our alumni community, this helps us to engage more actively, personally, and directly with individuals. And finally, when alumni participate in events as mentors and speakers, they are actively contributing to the success of KLU and our students.

From our experience, our alumni identify many positive factors in being a member of our alumni community. The most important one is reconnecting with their peers; it’s great to reminisce about the years they spent at KLU and the experiences they had. We find that they really value the lifelong connections they’ve formed with other students and faculty members. Other important factors for our alumni are growth and learning. They find it very enriching to have the chance to attend special workshops, lectures, and discussions organized just for them.

Holly: After working at KLU for nine years, it has been incredibly rewarding to witness personal and professional growth firsthand, as well as the friendships forged during the study programs and seminars at KLU. My skills in organizing events and seminars will certainly contribute to the upcoming alumni work, as well as the connections I have made with the program participants over the years. Just because a program has finished or someone has graduated does not mean that the journey has to end. Staying in touch with our alumni is truly rewarding. And now the opportunity to continue the work of our Alumni Relations Department and keep our alumni engaged and active is exciting.

Sophia: I value having a relationship with a large group of alumni from more than six years of experience in KLU Student Recruitment. Many of them I have known since the beginning of their KLU journey. I have watched the students develop during their studies and have gained an eye for their needs and points of view. Although student recruitment is the first point of contact for potential students, we stayed connected and got them involved as student ambassadors in events such as Open Day. My coaching skills were the driver for understanding and supporting people individually and for taking the lead at Alumni Relations. In addition, both Holly and I are mothers, have families, and can potentially relate to some of our alumni's current life stages.

First, our goal is to expand KLU Alumni Relations’ visibility within and beyond KLU. We want to increase the number of alumni contact points with KLU and promote ongoing, mutually beneficial relationships between KLU alumni and the university’s efforts. We also want to foster an engaged community culture in which our alumni really feel connected to KLU, so they spread a positive word about KLU and help attract new potential students. In this way, for example, we are committed to offering trainings alumni directly see the benefit of and that will help them in their current careers.

Meet us on campus or have a look at the Alumni Compass to connect with us.

There’s a great opportunity to get valuable tips and professional insight from our KLU Alumni, inspiring you further on your career journey: Alumni Career Talks. This year, Career Talks will take place on November 3, 2023 at NEW WORK's cutting-edge workspaces, conveniently located just steps away from the KLU campus in HafenCity.

Additionally, our annual homecoming event will take place on November 4, 2023. It’s a great opportunity for all of our alumni, faculty, and our new president to meet and network. More information here.