Page 41 - Thetha Issue 6

ALUMNI NEWS

New platforms help alumni stay in touch
CLICK TO

Director: Alumni Relations (AR), Paul Geswindt, with
Liscka Hendrick (AR Administrative and Communication CONNECT
Officer), Santhoshini Petersen (AR Coordinator) and
Uyanda Makanda (AR Assistant).

Over the past few years, alumni relations have We’ve shifted from in-person events where we briefly
been changing – not just at Nelson Mandela connect with alumni, to widening and deepening
University, but all over the world. Mandela relationships with alumni, enabling them to play a much
Alumni Connect is a leading-edge platform that bigger role in the life of the University.
We are doing this through broader participation
looks set to transform how we communicate in institutional online events, student mentorship and
with each other. By Paul Geswindt, Director: coaching, providing bursaries and sponsorships, helping
Alumni Relations to ensure our graduates are employable, or simply sharing
their expertise. Greater alumni involvement at faculty and
programme level is also being encouraged.
Within this space, there has, of course, been a huge
push towards digital transformation, which has been
accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to using well-known social media platforms
such as LinkedIn and Facebook to connect with alumni,
and continuing to engage via emails and newsletters, more
specialised alumni platforms have emerged – and we have
embraced them.

2022 | mandela.ac.za | 41