Diverse alumni activities at Xamk

Every graduate of Xamk is an Xamk alumni. Alumni activities mean diverse, long-lasting cooperation between the university and its students. Nowadays all new graduates will be automatically added to the alumni register to make it easier to connect with them.

Collaboration with alumni and their workplaces is diverse in Xamk. The general form of cooperation is internships, i.e. Xamk students get to do their internship in the workplaces where alumni work.

Alumni hope that collaboration will still increase and become more diversified. Most alumni want more internship collaboration for their workplaces, theses or project collaboration, visit on courses as a lecturer, and student visits to workplaces.

The answers are based on the Xamk alumni survey, which was conducted on 1.12. – 15.12.2021. 815 alumni graduated from Xamk in 2017–2021 responded to the survey. 85% of the respondents had completed a bachelor’s degree and 15% a master’s degree.

The transition from student to alumni has been smooth, but for many the significance of alumni was still unclear and the meaning of being an alumni needs clarifying. One advantage Xamk offers its alumni is the opportunity to participate in continuous learning studies (Open UAS) free of charge. The benefit is available to all graduates from 2021 onwards. The majority (82%) of alumni who graduated in 2021 had not yet taken advantage of the benefit. Those who have participated Open UAS studies find it very good and functioning.

Communication and interaction with alumni is an essential part of alumni collaboration. Alumni think the most functional communication channel is email.

The survey results are used in the development of Xamk’s alumni activities. A new alumni coordinator will start at Xamk during 2022.