Update for February 2014

Thanks to all members of this group, Let’s Build Bridges, for their information so far. I will now update you all on our progress.

Due to resourcing issues, I am told that it will not be possible to pursue Let’s Build Bridges in co-operation with Fixers as I had hoped. Therefore, from now on, this project will be a fully independent one, that is open to participation from all organisations. We will now develop an open forum, for discussion between all members, as to where student-Alumni networking has succeeded, and where it still needs improvement. Having spoken with my contact at Bright Futures UK, he has agreed to direct interested academics to this page, to share their ideas and experiences. We will be able to hear the success stories, from the people who founded the networks: and to hear first-hand, for where improvements will be needed.

The main challenge to student-Alumni relations so far, is inconsistency. It is not that students and Alumni do not network at all; but that some do and some do not. For example I have learned already that at my old university, the University of Birmingham, there is an excellent network for Engineering students and Alumni: but not one for Environmental Sciences. In the interests of equal opportunity, I say that all students must have access to the same basic networking resource, regardless of their field of study; where they study, or the curriculum of their university. And again, I am told that it is usually a handful of dedicated students from each school who network. But online networking with Alumni should be seen in exactly the same way as apprenticeships: as a logical process, leading from study, straight into the profession itself.

There are certain professions like television production, and directing in a theatre, where the career path may seem less well defined, and from the graduates' accounts of their profession, personal contacts are more useful than straightforward application. For these professions especially, more networks between students of those disciplines, and the Alumni in the business would be a clear help to all.

I understand that it is difficult to convince students that this is in their interest, but I will personally speak to any students, who may have doubts about networking with Alumni, and will tell them from 10 years of experience, exactly what they will gain. Another issue we face is of course, that each student is unique. Students of every college and school within a university have a unique learning experience: and the work of students from one campus may seem entirely different to those from another. Student-Alumni networks may not seem a one-size-fits-all solution. But we should still remember that students of every subject at every university or college must have access to the same basic learning resources: and in today’s increasingly competitive world, this should include direct access to the Alumni in their chosen profession.

So, I would like to hear the experiences from your contacts, who have helped student-Alumni relations. If you or anyone you know would like to comment on the issues involved, I am more than happy to make you Contributors to the blog, to write articles of interest. You are of course, welcome to comment on the Linkedin and Facebook pages as well. I will try to establish more links on Twitter, Instagram and other media, but would like to focus on the more obvious pages for now. It would also be good to have a wider range of participants involved, so if there is anyone you know who is interested in improving student-Alumni relations, then you are welcome to invite them to this page.

I am also waiting to hear back from a member of the Technology Strategy Board. The Board have pioneered many projects for knowledge transfer between businesses and academics themselves, and will hold useful information for networking projects from the Alumni point of view. I have given my contact the links to these pages and am waiting to discuss with him.

Eventually, I plan to use the arguments from interested parties, to determine where more student-Alumni networks are needed, and to take action to do this. The best solution so far, on the advice you have given, is to hold a competition between all schools of a university, for the most original innovation that academic year: and to encourage students and Alumni of every school, to work together to achieve this. That will ensure that any students or Alumni who are not already networking will be encouraged to do so. By working together, the students will get the mentoring and coaching from the Alumni: and the Alumni will get new ideas from the students that they can use in their professions. This will be a win-win solution, as all participants will gain something from such a competition: including the host university, who can take credit for the new innovations.

It is in everyone’s interests that students and Alumni of every profession are interconnected: to ensure mentoring and coaching of students to prepare them for a very competitive, global job market; and to give the Alumni new ideas, and innovations, to make their professional lives easier. Our efforts will go a long way to making sure that this happens.