Sweden alumni relations
It is highly valuable for all foreign missions to work strategically with maintaining relations with Sweden Alumni: former international students and researchers. They make up an incredible network that can support you in your work. Sweden alumni, who have lived and/or worked in Sweden, are great Sweden promoters!
This toolkit includes guidance for Swedish embassies and consulates on how to work with Sweden alumni. It also introduces what support you can get from the Swedish Institute (SI).
Why work with Sweden alumni?
Having contact with Sweden alumni in your country has many benefits. Very often we find Sweden alumni in high positions in companies and institutions and their strong connection to Sweden makes them key players that can help you with diplomatic access, trade, spreading knowledge about Sweden, promoting Sweden as a study destination and in your work towards the sustainable development goals.
Who are Sweden alumni?
The Swedish Institute’s definition of Sweden alumni is people that have studied or done research at a Swedish university (with or without an SI scholarship), have participated in any of the Swedish Institute’s leadership programmes, taken part in Sida’s International Training programmes or and other leaders and opinion makers who have connections to Sweden. It could also be students of the Swedish language.
How?
Alumni relations is all about creating engagement and recognising people that want to help you spread information about Sweden. Start with inviting alumni to your events and then aim to launch a local alumni network that are run by alumni volunteers. You can apply for financial support from the swedish institute to host an alumni event, read more below. To support you fully, the Swedish Instiutute has developed the Sweden Alumni Strategy Guide – a guide that, in detail, explains how you might start working strategically with alumni relations and how to maintain good relations with your alumni.
Download the Sweden Alumni Strategy Guide
We can also send you the guide by post. If you have any questions regarding the guide, alumni relations in general please contact the SI Alumni Team at alumni@si.se. We would love to support you in your journey towards having a thriving local alumni network in your country!
Financial support
The Swedish Institute offers financial support for Swedish embassies and consulates to organise alumni activities. A maximum of SEK 15,000 can be applied for. The requirements for the alumni activity support is that the purpose of the activity should be to increase engagement within the local alumni community. All Sweden and SI alumni in your country should preferably be invited, but other arrangements is also ok. You can obtain a list of contact details from SI by emailing to alumni@si.se.
Apply for financial support here
All activities should be published in the Alumni Activity Calendar at least three weeks in advance.
After your activity has taken place, we request that you send us the following reporting materials:
- A complete list of participants
- 2-3 pictures
- A financial report
Instructions and materials
Sweden Alumni Strategy Guide
Sweden Alumni Activity Calendar
Swedish Institute Alumni Network on Facebook
Swedish Institute Alumni Network on Instagram
List of all local alumni networks
Link to toolkits that can be used by alumni networks
Contact at the Swedish Institute
For more information, contact alumni@si.se.