First Alumni Reunion for the degree programme in management of social change

On June 8, 2018, the first reunion of graduates from the Master’s degree programme in management of social change took place alongside current students at the Blue Box. The occasion was the fifth anniversary of the first degrees awarded since the degree programme was introduced in 2011.

After a brief welcome by the program director, Professor Dr. Raj Kollmorgen, the focus was initially on finding out where everyone currently stands. Each participant had the opportunity to briefly describe their current professional situation. It became clear that the alumni are active in a wide variety of fields within the education sector, as well as in administration and politics. Some are engaged in research (part-time) or have plans to do so, for example by pursuing a Ph.D.

The insights that both graduates and current students have gained—and continue to gain—from their studies are equally diverse. In particular, the ability to look beyond the confines of one’s own discipline and to delve into previously unrecognized connections was praised. Equally, difficulties were mentioned regarding the short duration of the program, the scheduling of individual courses, and the sometimes significant differences in prior knowledge among students, who come from a variety of bachelor’s degree backgrounds. The ongoing re-accreditation process will examine the extent to which these structural challenges can be resolved or mitigated.

There was also an in-depth discussion on how alumni engagement can be further cultivated in the future. Various possibilities were discussed, including the use of social media, existing mailing lists, and regular meetings. For example, the annual class reunions held at the end of the degree program could be expanded accordingly. There is great interest among graduates, students, and program directors alike in deepening internal networking and thereby offering students up-to-date insights from the professional world.

The meeting concluded in the early evening with informal, one-on-one conversations in a relaxed setting.