Charting the way to a global alumni association for impact

Recent research reveals that the relationships between alumni and their alma mater are fast evolving. New expectations from alumni are being driven by the proliferation and expansion of platforms to engage them on a regular basis – regardless of geographical borders.

However, the fundamental questions still remain:

How do we continue to keep alumni returning to their alma mater? How do we continue to add value to our alumni?

“Will I ever get there?” was the title of the inspirational story that set the tone at a networking event, held on Friday, 13th October 2017 at the Mancosa [GSB]. The aim of the event was to introduce alumni to the latest developments at MANCOSA and to share some of the planned engagements for 2018.

MANCOSA’s Alumni Association recently revised its vision to embody the key values of Honoris United Universities – Collaborative Intelligence, Agility and Mobility. Honoris United Universities is the first pan-African private higher education network committed to preparing and educating the next generation of African leaders and professionals able to impact regionally in a globalised world. It is against this backdrop that MANCOSA’s Alumni Association has undertaken to revise its approach. MANCOSA will achieve this by leveraging significantly on its expanding global network to reinvent its value proposition to alumni.

Alumni expressed their excitement and appreciation throughout the evening as they embraced the opportunity to network and to form collaborative relationships with former graduates of the institution. Upcoming prospects for alumni to interact with MANCOSA were also highlighted and these included master classes, webinars and continuing professional development opportunities through Mancosa [Executive Education].

The alumni association invited guest speaker Mr Ebrahim Patel, CEO of Magellan Investment Management and the current President of the Minaara Chamber of Commerce, to address the audience on leadership and innovation. He commenced his address by complementing the hard work which Professor Yusuf Karodia has invested over the past 22 years. Mr Patel’s address captivated the audience as he explained how the integration of innovation and creativity has disrupted the way the business is conducted in the 21st century. Mr Patel explained how customer interaction, consumer culture and human evolution have shaped what is now commonly termed as the “4th Industrial Revolution”.

“Do you know that Uber is the largest transporter, yet they do not own a single car?” was the question Mr Patel posed to the audience, as he described the disruptive nature of technology and the success that some companies have enjoyed by harnessing its use in business. Social media and the digital technology is now leading the financial markets and the prediction is that 60% of the global Fortune 500 companies will no longer feature on the stock exchange in the next few years.

Mr Patel concluded his address by advising the audience that there are two sectors which will lead the business world in the future. These sectors include logistics, with particular reference to Amazon.com, which has taken the market by storm with tremendous growth in 2017. The second sector is wearables, which includes clothing that will determine weather conditions and keep a person warm on a cold day. Mr Patel encouraged leaders to “learn to unlearn,” and encouraged alumni to be open-minded and agile in today’s working world and to embrace the change brought about by the 4th Industrial Revolution.

A lucky draw was then held with prizes being handed over by the CEO of Honoris United Universities, Mr Luis Lopez. The programme was concluded with a vote of thanks and guests were treated to light refreshments. Similar events are planned for Johannesburg, Cape Town and selected SADC countries as MANCOSA seeks to strengthen its bond with its graduates.

Alumni are encouraged to contact the Alumni Association to update their details in order to benefit from a rapidly expanding global family of graduates and impact-makers.