The Role and Importance of Alumni
June 2021. This is the end of the academic year and more than 100 students graduated with their master’s degrees the academic year 2020-2021. Most will celebrate their academic achievements surrounded by friends and family and will get ready to move on their professional life. However, these students will always be a part of the university from which they graduated, and they will become alumni. As alumni, graduate students benefit from their relationship with the university by being part of an alumni network as well as continued access to many resources. However, one of the most important roles for alumni is to continue their support to the academic institution by serving as role models and providing professional expertise for the current students.
One of the most important benefits for alumni are the networking opportunities. Alumni networks provide a long-term value to students by giving access to professional resources. Networking will lead to developing contacts in their professional community as well as exchanging valuable information for the purpose of developing career opportunities. It is common for alumni to support each other by either giving professional advice or access to employment. As alumni, students can relate to one another by sharing a common educational experience. As of now, Zayed University has graduated 2,382 master’ degree students which contributes to a strong network of alumni. These students work in private and public sector organizations, and they all value the reputable education they received at Zayed University.
Another advantage for alumni is their continued access to career building tools at their university. Alumni are usually offered exclusive job opportunities, webinars, networking events, and library resources. In addition, when alumni are seeking to pursue a PhD program, they might need access to the library and faculty’s expertise to write their doctorate proposal. These resources can only be found at a university. They provide an invaluable support system for alumni who are seeking to change careers and/or who are in need of advice as to how to grow into their careers.
However, the most important part of being an alumnus is to give back to the education community by serving as mentors, by volunteering, and supporting the career needs of students. Students who are currently enrolled enjoy interacting with alumni who provide them with a glimpse of what professional life can look like after graduation. Alumni provide credibility and justification that success is a true possibility. Experiences can be shared, and advice can be more easily accepted as guidance and inspiration by students. Alumni can contribute by being guest speakers, industry experts and research partners in projects with the university, as well as by serving on advisory boards for colleges and contributing to the curriculum.
The role of alumni is crucial as they create opportunities for themselves and others in their community and their industry. Zayed University values the contributions of alumni and their involvement in graduate programs. As new graduates, alumni should look for ways to maximize the potential of their degrees as well as give back to their university.
Zayed University graduate alumni members who would like to share a success story or their professional achievement, make an announcement, advertise a job opportunity or promote an event in the Graduate Post or on the ZU Alumni LinkedIn Group, should contact the Deanship of Graduate Studies at +971-2-599-3605 / dgs@zu.ac.ae or the Student Careers and Alumni Department at +971-4 402-1885 / +971-2-599-3397 / alumni@zu.ac.ae for assistance or more information.