Within the ALMEX — Alumni Management Excellence project (Erasmus+ CBHE, №101236357, co-funded by the European Union), particular attention is given to the strategic development of university–alumni relations. This area is addressed through Work Package 3 — WP3 “Strategic Development for Alumni Relations: Insights, Metrics, and Action Plans”.
WP3 covers the first year of the project, from month 1 to month 12. The work package is coordinated by the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (NUWEE).
The main role of WP3 is to create an evidence-based and practical foundation for further alumni engagement activities at Ukrainian universities. Before launching new services, digital tools, or engagement programmes, the partners will collect data, analyse the needs of target groups, and define realistic directions for development.
As part of WP3, the partners will study European alumni engagement practices during study visits to the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. The focus will include alumni governance models, mentorship programmes, career support, alumni association leadership, the use of CRM analytics, and the involvement of alumni in university development, curricula, and governance processes.
An important component of WP3 is the alumni survey. It will collect information about graduates’ career paths, expectations from their universities, current challenges, and possible forms of engagement with their alma mater. The findings will help partners better understand which communication, support, and engagement tools are most relevant for Ukrainian higher education institutions.
WP3 also includes the analysis of best practices in alumni engagement. The partners will consolidate insights from study visits, relevant European cases, and approaches that can be adapted to the Ukrainian university context. This analysis will provide practical recommendations for further development of alumni relations.
Another key task of WP3 is the development of indicators and metrics for assessing alumni engagement. These tools will help universities measure alumni participation in events, mentorship programmes, career support, professional initiatives, contributions to university development, and other forms of cooperation.
The key output of WP3 will be D3.1 “Individualized Alumni Engagement Strategies – Developed and Approved”. This deliverable will include tailored alumni engagement strategies for Ukrainian partner universities. Each strategy will reflect the university’s institutional profile, the characteristics of its alumni community, key engagement areas, stakeholders, metrics, timeline, and practical recommendations.
Overall, WP3 helps bring alumni engagement into the field of data, analysis, and concrete institutional decisions. Its results will provide a basis for the next stages of ALMEX, including the development of digital infrastructure, alumni offices, alumni associations, mentorship programmes, and long-term cooperation models between universities and their graduates.