Dear Alumnus,

The main purpose of Alumni Relations is to establish and maintain an ongoing relationship between UKZN and its graduates (both locally and internationally) that will result in alumni support for University affairs and activities and be of positive benefit to graduates. The uncertainty regarding restriction levels related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the first part of 2022 resulted in the planned series of alumni-related events and activities having to be postponed to a modified programme of activities. The contingency plan was heavily weighted towards social media interaction, specific personal alumni interactions and a very successful series of lunch meetings/events, each with an average of 12 alumni. This modified modus operandi highlighted the vital role of social media in building and maintaining relationships between UKZN and alumni. It also underlined how much alumni have missed the regular social interaction they enjoyed with the University in previous years. Attendance at the lunches was a testament to the fact that alumni enjoy interacting with one another, engaging with UKZN staff members and hearing first-hand about ongoing developments at the University.

The following activities were undertaken as part of the contingency plan: Almost 100 webinars were emailed to alumni and posted on the social sites on behalf of the four Colleges and various units/divisions. The alumni Facebook page and Twitter site saw an impressive increase in the number of followers, which now stands at 6 800 and 1 798, respectively. The six international (country-specific) alumni Facebook sites also saw an increase in numbers. Please let us know if you would like to join these groups. There has also been considerable interest in the main Facebook page for all alumni – please like us! Please email alumni@ukzn.ac.za  or govenderd@ukzn.ac.za  should you require further information on how to join. The alumni Linkedin page has been closed, you can now join us on the UKZN Linkedin page.

The alumni database is continually updated and the number of current records stands at 189 336, made up of 178 936 alumni within South Africa and 10 400 abroad. The number of email addresses has also increased and currently stands at 132 023. The team responded to more than 5 000 emails from alumni, with assistance provided when necessary.

The Durban Alumni Association’s activities began in September with a successful weekend getaway to the battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal. The much anticipated annual weekend alumnus getaway in November (in 2022 it was to Sani Pass and Lesotho) was again fully subscribed.

Alumni Relations has planned an exciting and informative range of activities for 2023 which includes a variety of events in South Africa, neighbouring countries and abroad. We look forward to meeting everyone again in the coming year.

In order to keep updated on University events, we urge all graduates to continue to update their contact details when any changes occur. This can be done via a quick email to alumni@ukzn.ac.za  or the website (http://alumniaffairs.ukzn.ac.za/updateservices.aspx).

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