Start an international alumni group

Would you like to start an informal volunteer-led DTU alumni group in your country/area?

The requirements to start an international alumni group are:

  • The enthusiasm and willingness of several individuals who have time to take on and sustain the organizational initiative.
  • The interest of a reasonable number of alumni to participate in the group’s activities.

Group structure

An international alumni group can be informal or formal, the latter having a structured committee, a newsletter/web presence, and perhaps – though not necessary – a constitution. There is no standard constitution for international alumni groups, and groups can operate informally. If you are interested in starting a formal group, please check the laws of your country to determine whether a constitution is required for registering your group.

Starting a group

There are four main steps in starting an international alumni group:

  1. The interested person(s) should contact DTU’s Stakeholder Management Office to discuss the organization of the group with reference to DTU and DTU Alumni.
  2. DTU’s stakeholder management team will assist in sending an email to contactable alumni in the country/area to determine the wider interest in starting a group.
  3. A meeting should be convened where interested alumni agree on the group’s objectives and discuss the activities of the group.
  4. A launch event should be organized, with broad appeal to attract as many alumni as possible. It might be a good idea to arrange such an event when a DTU staff member is available to attend.

Alumni data updates

You may find that alumni let you know of address changes. Please forward all address changes, email addresses and employment details to DTU’s Stakeholder Management Office at alumni@dtu.dk so that they can ensure DTU has updated data. Where possible, please encourage alumni to update their details in their DTU Alumni member profile.

 

Contact points at DTU

DTU’s Stakeholder Management Office (responsible for DTU Alumni) will be your first point of contact at DTU. You may also be contacted by DTU’s International Admissions Office if they are travelling to your region and/or need help with student recruitment activities.

DTU’s Stakeholder Management Office will provide support by:

  • Regular communication with you
  • Promotion of local events that you choose to organize
  • Putting you in contact with other alumni from DTU in your country/area

 

Running a local alumni event

Timing

Mid-week is often optimal and it is often best to catch people before they sign off for the day in the late afternoon or early evening. Avoid Fridays and weekends, and be mindful of all holidays.

Venue

Finding a suitable and reasonably priced venue is often the most difficult part of organizing and event. Access to a venue not normally available is a great bonus. Alumni might provide useful contacts.

Potential venues are:

  • Hotels and conference facilities
  • Restaurants, bars and coffee shops
  • Art galleries
  • Private homes or clubs of alumni
  • Offices of a local company where meeting space is available

Financing events

Where possible, events should be self-financing. This means that cost for each event (e.g. room or equipment hire, catering, gratuities, photography) should be covered by the participants on an individual pay-per-event basis. On occasion, the group may wish to seek sponsorship so that a free event can be made available. It is a good idea to take bookings and payments before the event where possible.

Invitations

Invitations should include the following information (where applicable): Time, date, venue, speaker, topic, format, price and booking/payment instructions.

Invitations should be sent at least 3-6 weeks before the event (perhaps with a reminder 1-2 weeks before the event). DTU’s stakeholder management team can help with this. Please remember to encourage alumni to update their details and to forward the invitation to any DTU friends who may not be members of DTU Alumni and the local alumni group.

Registered participants should receive a confirmation with practical information when they register + a reminder a few days prior to the event and a final reminder early on the day of the event.
Consider a short post-event survey to gain valuable insights and feedback + ideas for future events.

Speakers

Speakers should receive written confirmation of their acceptance to speak, including time, date, venue and topic, with a brief on subject and length of speech required. They should also be given a detailed brief about the alumni group, which should include the size, make up and type of activities the group has done in the past. You should contact the speaker the day before and check last minute arrangements. An event with a speaker should also include a chair who will introduce himself or herself, welcome everybody and introduce the speaker with warmth and enthusiasm and chair a question and answer session if relevant.

Catering

Confirm arrangements with caterers/venue in good time and give final confirmation the day before the event. Please remember to allow for taxes and tips when hosting an event. If you are unsure about numbers, try to avoid agreeing to ambitious minimum numbers. It is wise to avoid venues with a hire charge where possible.

On the day

It is a good idea to prepare a list of attendees for other alumni to see who is attending and to check attendance. Name badges with subject of study at DTU and year of graduation should also be produced. Delegate an alum to staff the reception desk, give out name badges and guest lists, etc. If you have a speaker, please ensure someone is assigned to welcome and look after the guest speaker throughout the event. If possible, please take some photographs and send this, along with a brief event report, to alumni@dtu.dk following the event.