From 9 to 13 December, the Maison du Savoir on Belval campus was buzzing with joy, as 1,600 students obtained their diplomas. The person welcoming them at each ceremony was Andy Adams, the driving force behind the Alumni Network. Following a career that included a long stint at Thomson Reuters (now LSEG) and Miami University, Andy joined the University in 2020 to create an alumni network and to develop the relations that the University keeps with its alumni.
Who are the Uni alumni?
University of Luxembourg alumni are a microcosm of Luxembourg itself. There are almost 150 nationalities among our alumni and they are currently working in over 100 different countries, from Mongolia to Australia to the Cayman Islands. They really are everywhere.
The number 55 is a key figure in relation to our alumni. Around 55% of our alumni are non-Luxembourgish and 55% are female.
The networking event at Hitch in 2023.
Why do alumni matter so much for the University of Luxembourg?
The University of Luxembourg is only 21 years old but our alumni are already in positions of importance. Did you know that 4 current members of Parliament are alumni, and 2 ministers in the current government studied here as well?
Our alumni are the best possible ambassadors for the University, says Andy Adams. Who is in a better position to speak about the University education, campus and student life, than the persons who studied here? They are also ideally placed to share their experiences with current students about future careers paths.
For example, this year we worked with the Bachelor en Cultures Européennes programme to organise alumni panels in different career sectors for current students. Mentoring is also an area where we are looking to support the University in the future. We are working with the One Step Forward mentoring programme to help them expand their offering in 2025.
The Uni.lu alumni network
Students spend a couple of years on campus, but they will be alumni for the rest of their lives, continues Andy. Andy and colleague Liza Shliakhova set up the alumni community platform, which includes now more than 2,000 members. The platform is where “alumni happens”, where members can register for events, keep up with news and profiles of other alumni, access special offers with our external networking and media partners, and join specific alumni groups. For career support, alumni can continue to access the Job Teaser platform and targeted job offers. Any member can post jobs or internships in their organisations for other members.
Members can subscribe to the quarterly alumni newsletter, use the online directory and integrated chat. There is also an alumni LinkedIn page.
What’s coming up?
We’ve come a long way in a short time, but we are also only just getting started, says Andy. Mentoring is an area that will be mutually beneficial for both alumni and current students. We want to continue to work with the different study programmes in order to embed alumni in ways that fit each programme. We will also look to see where local alumni groups in different regions worldwide might be possible. We are already amazed that there is one in Mongolia.
2025 marks 10 years of the Belval campus and we would love to celebration the history of the different university campuses over the University’s short 21+ years of existence. Stay tuned!
