Letter for all ISS alumni

60th Anniversary and ISS Alumni Fund

The letter below was sent to all ISS alumni in May/June 2012 but as we do not have valid mail addresses for all our alumni, the letter is available here as well.

ISS 60th anniversary and ISS Alumni Fund       

The Hague, May 2012                    

Dear ISS alumni,

It is with great pleasure that we announce that ISS will celebrate its 60th anniversary in the coming academic year, 2012/2013!

ISS started its activities in 1952: research and teaching in the area of development and social studies, focusing mainly on students from developing countries and transition economies. So where are we now?

• We are a leading institute in the area of development studies.

• We have a strong global network of over 11,000 former students and are proud to count you in that number.

• We are in our third building (after Palace Noordeinde and the Wittebrug) at the Kortenaerkade in The Hague.

• We have linked up with Erasmus University in Rotterdam but we still focus on development studies and mid-career professionals.

Above all, we are proud of what we have achieved and we want to celebrate that during our 60th anniversary. And we would like to invite you to join us.

Most activities will take place in the week of 8 to 13 October 2012. With lectures, seminars, the Dies Natalis but also with the ISS Alumni Day on Friday 12 October 2012. A day especially for you and all ISS alumni full of interesting news, interesting meetings and interesting networking. We would feel honoured if you could join us.

Although we do not have the funds to reimburse your travelling/accommodation costs, if you happen to be in Europe or The Netherlands in October you may consider combining your trip with a visit to ISS and be our guest during this festive occasion.

All the details of the events taking place during the lustrum week are on the website.

In this letter we also want to bring to your attention the new ISS Alumni Fund - a fund aimed at raising money for new students. More than ever, many people from all over the world would like to study at ISS but many of them are not able to arrange funding. You may already have heard that the number of Dutch government fellowships has been cut dramatically and alternative funding is extremely difficult to find. We hope that with the support of our alumni, we will be able to financially support new students. Any amount you can spare, big or small will be welcome - there are so many of us that we can honestly say that every little bit will definitely make a big difference!

In the enclosed brochure you can read more about the ISS Alumni Fund. And if you have any questions or suggestions, please share them with us by sending an email to alumni@remove-this.iss.nl or alumnifund@remove-this.iss.nl.

We cannot think of a better gift for our anniversary than a contribution to our new ISS Alumni Fund. To make it possible for others to come to ISS and use that experience and that knowledge to contribute to a better world, just as you did. This may sound ambitious but that is what ISS has always been and will always remain.

Best wishes,