New network aims to connect international UU alumni still in the Netherlands

About 35 people attended a lecture by Walter Immerzeel, Professor of Mountain Hydrology at UU, about the consequences of climate change in the Himalayas, followed by drinks. Most of them graduated in the past six or seven years, with only a few attendees having graduated longer ago. Before the lecture, the attendees were asked through Mentimeter about their main reason for being there. “Connecting with others” was, by far, the most popular answer.

And that’s exactly why Cha-Hsuan Liu, who obtained her PhD in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in 2014, wanted to set up such a network in the first place. “So many international students stay in the Netherlands and build successful careers, but they are rather invisible,” she says. Liu decided to stay in the Netherlands after receiving her PhD title – but, with her entire family living in Taiwan, she often missed a larger network to count on, especially during Covid. “Those were very difficult times. I realised: ‘If I’m going to stay here, I need to build up a social network,” she says.

She started looking for ways to connect with other UU alumni and, finding no chapter for internationals, ended up joining the chapter in The Hague, where she lives. But practically all events are in Dutch. “My Dutch is good enough to have a conversation, but not good enough to understand a lecture with jargon, for example. That was a pity because some of the keynote speakers were really nice.”

She then contacted the alumni office to propose a specific network for internationals, asking if the university would support the idea. The alumni office said yes and put her in touch with Roland Spuij, a Dutch alumnus who got his PhD in Geology in 1983 and lived in Australia, among other countries, where he was actively involved in the UU Alumni Network in Sidney. With events in English, of course. Spuij had just moved back to the Netherlands and could help Liu with his expertise. 

Liu and Spuij were joined by Melissa Lopez, a physicist and postdoctoral researcher born in Buenos Aires and raised in Valencia. She did her PhD at UU. The board of the International Alumni Network was formed. Liu, Spuij, Lopez and any other graduates helping organise the events will work voluntarily, while the university will help pay for costs like food, drinks and venue. 

Surprised
International alumni were contacted with the help of the alumni office and a post on UU’s website. Over 200 people manifested their interest in the network and registrations for the kickoff event quickly sold out. 

However, not everyone who registered showed up in the end. About 70 people said they would come, but only half of them were there. Still, the event exceeded the organisers’ initial expectations. “We were expecting about 25 people,” said Spuij ahead of the lecture.

When entering the room where drinks and snacks were served, the attendees were greeted with a board where they could stick Post-its with ideas for future events. From book clubs to movie nights, the suggestions were plenty. “We will decide on the next activities based on what the alumni themselves tell us they expect from us. But there are so many things we’d like to organise: cultural events, museum visits, and company visits are just the first things that come to mind,” says Liu.

Considering most people who attended the first event stayed in the room until the end, joyfully chatting, it looks like the network has a promising future.

Interested in joining the network and staying up to date about future events? You can follow their page on Linkedin.