On the occasion of the 200th Public Defence at ISS (Sara Vigil on 7 November 2019), ISS took a first step in further strengthening its PhD alumni network by setting up its very own PhD Alumni Association.
Coordinated by Dita Dirks, the aims of the ISS PhD Alumni Association are to:
- strengthen friendships
- build an ISS PhD alumni community
- act as a think tank
- expand networks
- create a lifelong learning platform
- revive memories
- enable PhD graduates to engage with each other and with ISS
- identify top supervisors
Future plans include organizing reunions, conferences and other events. Nothing is set in stone and we hope, in close cooperation with our PhD alumni, that this Association will take shape as we move forward.
First steps
At the end of April 2020, a mailing was sent out to 200 of the now 207 PhD alumni (we are missing some email addresses). To date, more than 50% of our alumni have enthusiastically responded, showing a clear need for such an association: PhD alumni want to (re)connect with ISS.
This positive response may also have been in part prompted by the effects of the Covid-19 virus, which has made all of us see clearly how important it is to work together globally.
Next steps
The next steps will be to continue laying the groundwork (PhD alumni page on the ISS website, a PhD group in LinkedIn for example), send the booklet '200 PhD Graduates at ISS' to the PhD alumni who have responded and form a PhD alumni council that will maintain and expand the connection among PhD alumni and between the ISS and its PhD alumni.
Later in the year we also hope to organize an interesting virtual exchange with an ISS honorary fellow and more, Covid permitting….
- More information
Do you want to get back in touch with ISS? Or are you interested in or have ideas and suggestions for the ISS PhD Alumni Association?
Do not hesitate to contact the ISS PhD Alumni Association via phdalumni@iss.nl!