As part of the ALMEX project, a study visit to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam took place on 16–20 March 2026, serving as a dynamic platform for professional dialogue, exchange of experience, and the joint exploration of effective solutions in the field of university engagement with alumni communities. Over five days, project partners not only explored the practices of the host university but also reflected on how to adapt these approaches to their own institutional contexts. Particular attention was given to rethinking alumni engagement, shifting from isolated initiatives to a systematic, long-term, institutionally embedded activity.
The visit brought together representatives of all ALMEX partner institutions: the Ukrainian Catholic University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the University of Alicante, Sumy State University, Zaporizhzhia National University, the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering, the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, and the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance. Such a diverse group enabled the integration of European and Ukrainian perspectives and framed alumni engagement as a shared strategic priority.
The programme covered the practices of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in alumni engagement, relationship management, fundraising, CRM processes, and data protection and privacy compliance. At the centre of the discussions was the question of how to move alumni engagement from individual initiatives to a systematic, long-term, institutionally embedded practice.
Among the key elements of the programme were meetings with representatives of the Department of University Relations and Fundraising (DURF), strategic and practical sessions, a round table at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in The Hague dedicated to the role of the diaspora in cooperation with alumni, as well as presentations of the initiatives of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam startup hub (VU StartHub), the Center for Entrepreneurship, and The Demonstrator Lab. The final discussions enabled partners to synthesise insights, align them with their institutional needs, and outline the next steps for implementing the ALMEX project.
The visit demonstrated that effective alumni engagement emerges at the intersection of strategic vision, well-structured internal processes, digital tools, and a university’s commitment to building long-term relationships with its community. These insights will form the foundation for further development of institutional models of alumni engagement across partner universities.
