98. Sandra Rincon & Scott Darby: The importance of international alumni

Alumni are an important stakeholder group in higher education institutions across the world. An engaged alumni network can not only help an institution to benefit from the experiences and skills of its graduates, but alumni can also make a significant impact on individual students by providing mentorship, advice, and networking opportunities. A possible alumni relationship starts the moment a prospective student engages with an institution and can be the key to a treasure box filled with possibilities and opportunities. But how does an institution build up an alumni network, and what is in it for the alumni themselves?

In this EAIE podcast episode, host Laura Rumbley talks to Sandra Rincon, a consultant on Global Stakeholder Engagement with Purpose, and Scott Darby, former President of the OCEANS Network, both experts on the topic of international alumni. So, what do we mean when discussing the international alumni lifecycle? Why should alumni matter to institutions? And what are some of the key challenges and opportunities within this area today?

About Sandra Rincon
Sandra Rincon works as a consultant on Global Stakeholder Engagement with Purpose. She believes in building communities to promote diversity as a pillar to innovate a more inclusive, sustainable, and kinder world. She dedicates her professional time as a trainer, researcher and author. She has co-authored the book ‘Engaging International Alumni as Strategic Partners’; edited a resource guide, ‘Alumni Connection’; hosted Brite Ideas, a podcast for advancement professionals;, and founded the Holland alumni network-NL to support international students and alumni navigate the Dutch labour market. She is finalising her PhD research on the SDGs and student-alumni engagement at Tilburg University. As a recognised leader in international education (PIE, 2023) and consultant with +30 years of experience, Sandra advises and trains professionals in governments and higher education institutions. She often publishes in professional literature on global engagement.

About Scott Darby
Scott Darby works as a Solutions Engineer for Inenco Group in the UK, where he produces carbon reports and helps companies move towards net zero. Scott has two Masters degrees in Aird Land Studies and studied in Sheffield (UK), Lubbock, Texas (USA), and Berlin (Germany). He is passionate about restoring degraded land and has worked in Australia, Libya, Lebanon and Somaliland. After his studies, he was elected President of the OCEANS network, an Erasmus alumni organisation, and he is still heavily involved as a member of the Advisory Board. Scott is back in Sheffield, UK, to start and raise a family.

Additional resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→ Global communities driving the SDGs
→ 4 tips for leveraging alumni networks for recruitment
→ 3 questions to ask before engaging alumni in virtual marketing and recruitment
→ How international alumni relations advance the agenda
→ OCEANS website