Building RGU's worldwide community

Building RGU’s worldwide community

Taking university to our global alumni

RGU is proud of its almost 90,000 alumni spanning many countries across the globe. We hear regularly about the pride these alumni have in their university – and their eagerness to support and shape even greater success for the university in the future. We also know there is a great demand to connect back to RGU, and explore other ways in which people can stay connected. As part of an ongoing commitment to serve alumni across our global community, you may have noticed recently through LinkedIn or elsewhere a significant increase in alumni programmes outside of Aberdeen.

We’ve spent time over the last few months bringing alumni communities together in Beijing, Shanghai, Houston and Calgary – and closer to home in London and the Central Belt. We’ve also worked closely with alumni groups in Zurich and Amsterdam, as well as initiated some work in Hong Kong. This is all part of an expanded and focused global engagement programme – to explore the possible!

RGU has almost 90,000 alumni spanning many countries across the globe.

Connecting our alumni in key centres outside of Northeast Scotland is part of much larger objectives: to foster alumni coming together more readily as a part of the RGU community, to serve our alumni as a core and lifelong partner of the university, and to expand the global profile and reputation of RGU.

While there has been work done in the past, we are in the early stages of a revamped approach.

As part of the university taking a more active role in serving the broader alumni population, our first step will be to establish a network of alumni leaders and communities. It is through this network that we can best serve people in their local regions, and build the global network.

Our commitment to alumni engagement is undergoing a big transition here at RGU

Next, we’re developing the range of programming we can offer – with the objective of delivering a collection of intellectually-stimulating content, professional enrichment programming and career support, and greater access to alumni communities. We’ll bring this content regularly to our alumni communities, and regularly seek ways to support alumni and university growth by showcasing and sharing excellence from RGU alumni and academic staff. And, we’ll support increased alumni connectivity – within communities, between communities, and across the larger graduate population.

As much as we may like to, we also know we can’t be everywhere, and there are alumni in many other locations equally important to us as partners and as members of the RGU community. To that end, we’re busily working on a number of initiatives – most notably a digital engagement platform – through which we can extend services and the ability to connect more readily to all alumni – be they in Mauritius, Moscow, or downtown Manchester. RGUConnect will bring you closer to other RGU graduates – and bring more of the university to your ‘digital front door.’

Vice-Principal for University Advancement Mark Sollis speaking with China University of Petroleum's Vice Chancellor, Professor Yao Jun, in Quingdao

Our commitment to alumni engagement is undergoing a big transition here at RGU. With a firm commitment to also serve those folks who stay to work and live in Aberdeen and the shire, we know the new global programme will benefit alumni from here to shores far and wide.

Stay tuned for more programme announcements in 2018-19.