Alumni Ideas for Mannheim Business School

Below I have listed some things that are done in other schools around the world. The issue lies in that being a German program we need to match the cultures of our bigger and older US and UK counterparts with that of the German culture. I don't know what that necessarily is. Thus one suggestion has been to arrange a Stammtisch style event. It brings together the idea of networking and community of common purpose together with the German tradition. At this moment, I'm not all that clear on the way forward. For it to work there needs to be motivation for all parties.

In any case, after a brief search on the internet here are some things the Alumni departments do:


Harvard Alumni Association (http://www.alumni.harvard.edu/)
Alumni Board
Alumni programs to find more alumni
Alumni directory
Offer to be a mentor
New student interviewing resources and screening

INSEAD (http://www.insead.edu/Alumni/alumni_network/index.cfm)
Alumni Board
National Alumni Associations - 43 countries
Alumni Reunions - Weekend Reunions
Alumni Interest Groups (Clubs and Groups, Energy Club, INSEAD Health, Venture Net etc)
Recruiting (With reciprocal Job board with Harvard, Stanford, Kellogg)
Networking Platform (INSEAD Connect: https://alumni.insead.edu/CookieAuth.dll?GetLogon?curl=Z2F&reason=0&formdir=4)
Alumni Bookshop

London Business School (http://www.london.edu/ourcommunity/alumni.html)
International Alumni Council -
Research Information and business intelligence
80 Alumni clubs worldwide
- Forums
- Personal and professional networking
- Joint events with other business schools
- Active Start Up Club
- Women's International Network
- Entrepreneur Club
- Media Alumni

IESE (http://alumni.ie.edu/eng/wf_home.aspx)
Alumni Conference
Career Centre - recruiting
People Finder
Access to reports and news
Clubs - Singapore Monthly Get together, Wine Industry Club, Finance Club, Consulting Club
Networking Days - Nationally and industry

Oxford: (http://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/   for the full Uni)
Similar to INSEAD
Oxford10 - 10year reunions
Mentoring Program
100 National groups

IMD: (http://www.imd.ch/networks/alumni/index.cfm)
Alumni Club - Formal meeting
Alumni Initiative - Informal gatherings
Worldwide Alumni chapters
Alumni Directory

WHU (http://controllerpanel.de/index.php?id=1909)
Networking
Praktikum placements

St Peter's College (the school I went to in Adelaide, Australia)
- Arranges 10 year reunions
- Fundraising for the school via their Foundation

St Mark's College (the university residential college I attended during my engineering studies, Adelaide, Australia)
- Career advice from Alumni
- Alumni's arrange get-togethers around the world, usually one annual event in the US and one in the UK
- Port and Talk - invite speakers (alumni and non-alumni) to present interesting ideas to the students
- Arrange reunions
- Fundraising

So with that, I think Mannheim can get a few ideas. Some are school driven, some are alumni driven. Different things seem to work in different areas. Perhaps starting with something small and building from there.