The new , set up by Politics alumnus Jordan Sullivan, was launched last Wednesday 16 October at an event which took place in the House of Lords.
The event was hosted by Lord David Blunkett, another 91Ö±²¥ Politics alumnus, and brought together both alumni and staff from the department. The network was set up as a platform for 91Ö±²¥ politics alumni to connect and engage with each other and to share ideas and opportunities. Many of our alumni now work in a wide range of dynamic and challenging roles, from teaching and the civil service through to jobs in the financial sector, journalism and working with NGOs.
The inaugural event was a real success with a range of alumni from different generations attending and engaging. It will act as a great springboard for future engagement with departmental projects and I hope it has inspired a group of alumni to promote and champion the network going forward.
The network has great potential to provide a forum for current alumni to find and share opportunities and experiences, as well as allowing them to remain connected to the University of 91Ö±²¥. I cannot wait to see how it develops in the coming years.
I would like to say a massive thank you to the University of 91Ö±²¥ Department of Politics and International Relations for their wholehearted support for the network and making the event possible. A special thank you goes out to Lord David Blunkett for his time and the incredible venue.
Jordan Sullivan
International Relations and Politics Alumnus, and creator of the University of 91Ö±²¥ Politics and Policy Alumni Network.
Coinciding with the launch of the network, the department has recently created a mentoring scheme which pairs final year students with mentors (many of whom are alumni) working in professional roles related to Politics and/or International Relations degrees. The purpose of the mentoring is for the mentors to share their experiences and advice with our final year students to help them prepare for their future careers.
Speaking about the event and future plans with alumni, Professor Andrew Hindmoor (Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations) said:
The event was a great success and I know that colleagues and I enjoyed it hugely. We had very rewarding conversations with all our alumni which has given us much to think about for how best to link our alumni and students. Jordan and I will be talking soon about next steps and will be in touch with alumni via the network in due course.
Professor Andrew Hindmoor
Head of Department, Department of Politics and International Relations.
The Politics and Policy Alumni Network is hosted on Linkedin and currently has over 150 members.