Heidelberg Alumni International More Than 300 Alumni Celebrated Together at Their Alma Mater

More than 300 alumni of the university from 31 countries returned to Heidelberg to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of Heidelberg Alumni International (HAI). From 23 to 26 July the alumni came together in perfect summer weather for a varied anniversary program featuring presentations, discussion rounds, hands-on activities and guided tours. The highlights of the over 40 events included − besides the Ruperto Carola Summer Party, a Science Slam in the audiMAX lecture hall and study center, and a boat trip on the Neckar − a ceremony in the Great Hall of the Old University, on the invitation of Rector Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior.

“Universities are shaped not only by those studying and working here at present but just as much by those who still make a contribution long after acquiring their qualification,” underlined Prof. Melchior in her greeting. She thanked the alumni for their commitment to their Alma Mater, be it in the context of mentoring for students, in the form of donations for scholarships or as worldwide ambassadors for the university. For 30 years HAI has been building bridges and keeping people in contact with one another and with their university. “Each of you takes something of this university back into your own community, professional life and country. And many of you also bring something back to us: new ideas, new perspectives and new opportunities for future generations of Heidelberg students and researchers.” 

Silke Rodenberg draws a positive conclusion: “These huge network events, which the university hosts every five years, are like family reunions: people of all ages get together, share news and views and celebrate together – from the youngest in their pram to the 90-year-old,” says the director of the Heidelberg Alumni International staff unit. It is their bond with Heidelberg University, their Alma Mater, which makes a big family out of so many quite different individuals. That is particularly visible at such anniversaries: “Now we are all looking forward to HAI turning 35,” added the staff unit director.

Heidelberg Alumni International was founded in 1996 as one of the first central alumni organizations at German universities and today connects around 22,500 members in 135 countries worldwide. HAI is not only open to former members of the university but also to those here at present, in all phases of their academic and professional career, offering them a variety of networking options. They include, for instance, mentoring programs for students and events at which graduates give insights into their professional experience. Donations from dedicated alumni enable HAI to grant scholarships for the financing of study and research periods in Heidelberg or to bridge specific situations in life. The network also supports students in looking for internships in Germany and other countries. 

HAI connects its members in subject-related, national and international networks and organizes regular events at home and abroad. The largest international group comes from the United States of America; the Alumni Club Heidelberg Alumni US (HAUS) used the anniversary to hold its annual national meeting not, as usual, in the United States but in the Heidelberg Center for American Studies in Heidelberg.