Presidents and committee members of NTU alumni associations gather for an engaging discussion on the cultivation of alumni relations.

Presidents and committee members of NTU alumni associations came together for a dialogue session and gained more than an exchange. Hosted for the second time by the Alumni Affairs Office (AAO), the dialogue saw a diverse group of alumni leaders share their experiences and bounce off ideas with one another. Close to 30 Presidents and committee members of NTU's several alumni associations attended the session held at NTU's one-north campus on 16 January 2009.

Sharing of experiences
In his address, Guest-of-Honour Mr Anthony Teo, Secretary to the University, highlighted that it was important for alumni to cultivate a lifelong relationship with their alma mater. He also took the opportunity to speak of alumni contributions and thanked all who have given back to NTU through various initiatives. Mr Teo took pride in updating those present on the progress of the University. Complementing Mr Teo's delivery, Mr Soon Min Yam, Alumni Affairs, NTU, shed light on the roles and initiatives of AAO, its past achievements and future plans.

The event would not have been complete without hearing from the leaders themselves. Mr Sarjit Singh, President of the Nanyang Business School Alumni Association (NBSAA) shared with all his experiences in running NBSAA and what were some of the problems faced by new associations.

"To effectively address the challenges faced by Alumni Association EXCO, you need a team that is diverse and passionate and you need to focus on building relationships with the students on campus grounds," stressed Mr Singh. The audience also learnt of the association's aspirations and the critical factors it has had to overcome in order to get to where it is today.

Sharing of ideas
During the question and answer session, areas of concern were raised. While drawing on diverse experience and expertise, those leading their respective NTU alumni associations, bounced off ideas. Some of them wished to know how their associations and AAO can work together to achieve successful engagement of alumni. Newer associations, on the other hand, raised the concern of obtaining funding and sponsorships for their events. Mr Teo and Mr Soon were on hand during the dialogue session to answer their queries and also to expand on some of the interesting ideas being surfaced.

Some of the associations also brought up their problem of finding a suitable place to hold their meetings and events. To that, Mr R Sinnakaruppan, President of NTU Alumni Club was pleased to reply that they were welcome to use the Club facilities at a discounted rate.

Many were encouraged by the constructive sharing of experiences and ideas between the alumni associations and AAO.

"It was a good sharing session among the different alumni associations. And most importantly it was a great opportunity for us to meet our counterparts. I appreciate AAO's effort to get close to us and understand the challenges faced by alumni associations like ours." - Mr Kahar Hassan, President, Technopreneurship and Innovation Programme Alumni Association.



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