This year’s Alumni Impact Forum brought together more than a dozen alumni leaders and volunteers from around the world to discuss the realities of promoting CEU’s global community.
The annual two day event, held on May 11 and 12 at CEU, provided both recognition and training for attendees, while encouraging them to share what works – and what doesn’t – in the field. See photos.
“This year we did more listening and responding to issues raised,” said Dursunjemal Halimova (SPP ’15), event organizer and Alumni Volunteer Programs Assistant.
Hot topics included data protection, how to engage older and recent graduates, and recruitment of new students - much of which is done by alumni.
Attendees shared best practices and spoke frankly of challenges they face. Katarina Posa (IRES ’15), co-leader of the Budapest chapter, noted the difficulties of engaging a large, diverse group in a busy metropolis. Ilona Beatrice Polyak (BUSI ‘10) described her approach with New York City’s chapter, where she builds on city initiatives to attract alumni to museums, concerts and other cultural events.
Sara Pendjer (LEGS ’16) spoke of fundraising via the Serbian Alumni Scholarship, a local initiative supporting Serbian students potentially unable to study at CEU. Other initiatives discussed included Problemondo, an open platform for debating public issues developed by Alumnus Tomáš Zukal (SOCI ’01) and his classmates, plus the #istandwithCEU Facebook page launched by student Gáspár Békés (ENV ’17) and co-managed by alumna Ana Gurau (DPP ‘11).
The forum also included a talk by CEU President and Rector Michael Ignatieff, who thanked attendees for all they do in support of CEU and updated them on the university’s fight to stay in Budapest. CEU’s alumni relations, career services, recruitment and development team members also spoke with attendees, to hear critical feedback and share best practices, while alumni-supported students lauded the importance of fundraising and volunteering.
“We’re all in this together, working for the same thing,” Dursun said.
Thanks to all attendees! Want to learn more and get involved? Write Dursun.