Discussion Building a cross border Alumni Network

Discussion Output:

Challenges an alumni organization will face
1) The Lack of a Vision: what is the vision for the organization?
2) Sustainability: How can the alumni organization sustain its energy and its members’ commitment
3) Global network: how to bridge your alumni to the global network
4) The relevance of alumni chapters to AIESEC
5) How to solve the difference in need of alumni and AIESECers, and how to align needs of both parties.

Proposed Solutions
1) Vision that is different from AIESEC but supports it
- continue to lend support to AIESEC in the following ways:
a) advisory role
b) mentorship
c) leads and contacts in corporate sector
d) sponsorship
- however, alumni have different needs from AIESECers, so the vision/mission of alumni groups should be relevant to alumni needs to and not just the needs of AIESEC

2) Vision/Mission address the needs of alumni at different stages of their life
- common point: continues the international nature we inherited from AIESEC

3) Focus on the social aspects of bring alumni together rather than think of things they have to work on
- Most alumni do not have the energy to do projects over a long period of time unlike during AIESEC days. Most just want to have an avenue to get together with friends and network with like-minded people.

4) work with core groups of committed individuals ( a possible group may be presidents of Local Committees, National Committees)
- empower them to act as a bridge to other alumni of the same batch
- organize programmes that cater to their interest ( eg community service programmes)

5) form special interest groups to cater to different needs of alumni at different stages of their life/career
- eg, career search, golf & beer, executives/directors’ club

Positioning of alumni organization (concluding summary from Matthew De Villiers)

On one end of the spectrum it is easier to implement a social-orientated network and the commitment required is lesser. But such groups do not venture into areas beyond providing a platform for social gatherings. (Such groups may find themselves having a lack of purpose).

On the other end of the spectrum, a vision-orientated network will have a mission, vision and purpose and will be very focused in heir work but the commitment required is much larger and hence more difficult to implement.

Hence what an alumni group want to be depends on the amount of commitment its members are willing to give.

Immediate action plans following AAAPC 2004:
1) set up “AIESEC Alumni Asia Pacific Network community” in AIESEConnect
2) form interest subgroups for “golf and beer” and “community work” ( and other groups as needs arise)
3) get an alumni chapter to organize and host the next AAAPC