Alumni Strategy of the University of Montenegro adopted and the interactive web platform of the Alumni Association created
At the end of 1st year of international project AL4LIFE („Western Balkan entrepreneurial university alliances – keeping in touch for lifelong relations”), coordinated by the University of Montenegro and being implemented under the programme Erasmus+ CBHE (“Capacity building program in higher education”), significant activities have been completed that will contribute to establishment of alumni structures, strengthening connections with alumni and involving them in functioning of the university.
Partners in the project are the University of Bologna, the Autonomous University of Madrid, the University of Ljubljana, the University of Donja Gorica, the University of Mitrovica and the International Business College in Mitrovica.
The general goal of the project is the establishment and institutionalization of alumni structures, the inclusion of alumni in teaching, mentoring and research process, as well as in strengthening the links with the economic sector. By involvement of alumni, study programs and teaching methods will be improved, primarily through strengthening the segment of practical training and entrepreneurship, while in cooperation with the Office for Career Development and Life-long Learning certain activities will be carried out with the purpose of strengthening the professional and personal skills of students, all with the aim of better matching with the needs of the labor market, i.e. better employability of graduates. The project also envisages the improvement of research capacities of the UoM, of their funding, commercialization and connections with the innovative potential of the economic sector, which will be supported by the establishment of the Alumni Research Chair and the system for awarding scholarships to students of doctoral studies.
As a basis for realization of the mentioned activities and goals, the UoM Alumni Strategy with Action Plan was prepared, for the period 2024-2029, which was adopted by the UoM Steering Committee at the session held on 29th of February 2024, following the positive opinion given by the Senate. The strategy was created taking into account the best European practices regarding priorities and models of connecting universities and alumni, which were pointed out by the project partners from the EU.
An interactive web platform of the UoM Alumni Association was created, which includes the alumni database and system for their registration. Apart from providing information and promoting the alumni community and its activities, the purpose of the platform is to enable and foster communication, connections and cooperation with alumni.
The legal framework was adapted for the purpose of formal inclusion of alumni community in educational, research and developmental segment of the UoM – the following documents were adopted by the Senate, at the session held on 23rd of February 2024: Rules on amendments to the Rules of undergraduate studies, Rulebook on modifications and amendments to the Rulebook on conditions and ways of engagement of visiting professor and distinguished expert/ distinguished artist at the University of Montenegro, Rulebook on modifications and amendments to the Rulebook on cooperation with the scientific diaspora.
The principles for establishment of alumni structures at the UoM were defined. Each faculty appointed a person in charge of cooperation with alumni community. By September of this year, in addition to the Alumni Association and the Alumni Diaspora Advisory Committee, which will be formed at the central level of the UoM, alumni clubs will also be formed at all faculties where they have not been formed already.
An Action Plan was prepared for the cooperation of the Office for Career Development and Life-long Learning and the Alumni Association, for the purpose of coordination of their activities and organisation of joint events, which will contribute to better connections among the alumni community, the university and the economic sector, and to strengthening of professional and personal skills of students.
The aforementioned activities and results will enable the University of Montenegro to build a strong network and community of engaged alumni, which will be beneficial not only to the institution and its former, current and future students, but also to the society as a whole.
AL4LIFE project website: www.al4life.ucg.ac.me
Web platform of the UoM Alumni Association: https://alumni.ucg.ac.me
UoM Alumni Strategy can be found here: LINK