Alumni news
Volunteer consuls helping to keep Sussex alumni connected
By: Harriet De Bene
Last updated: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Alumni gathering in Nairobi
Alumni consul for Mexico Nelly Cruz
Alumni reunion event in Vienna
In over 70 countries across the globe our consuls volunteer their time to answer queries from alumni and prospective students as well as organising get-togethers for Sussex alumni to socialise and stay connected.
“My name is Nereyda Cruz (MSc Technology Innovation Management 2008) and I am an alumni consul for the University of Sussex in Mexico. I coordinate a group of 50 national and international participants, including students, alumni, Chevening scholars, British Council scholars and prospective students. We organise a monthly meeting to socialise and get to know each other, as well as making decisions together on topics that benefit alumni as well as the new generation of students.”
To enhance a sense of community we encourage our consuls to organise events for Sussex alumni in their local area. In 2023 we were delighted that alumni reunions were organised in Mexico and Europe, with events taking place in north America, Europe and Africa in 2022. We spoke to our alumni consul for Vienna, Massimo Toschi (International Studies 1993) about the reunion he organised:
“It became immediately clear all alumni entering the venue ‘jumped’ into full Sussex mode and mood. The Sussex spirit woke-up and everyone felt the freedom to express themselves. The event brought together nine Sussex alumni from different ‘schools’ and originally from several continents.
The evening featured a guest speaker and fellow Sussex alumnus Professor Yusaf Akbar, who started a debate sharing perspectives on 'Right Wing Populism: Corruption, Culture War and Inequality'. His inspirational speech generated a lively discussion and generated ideas aligned with the Sussex progressive and philosophical spirit. We then moved to a nearby pub, where we raised a glass to Sussex and all agreed it was necessary to meet again soon to continue the conversations. The Sussex spirit will never end!”
Whether our consuls have been volunteering for decades or have signed up this year, we want them to feel confident and prepared. The programme is supported by our Alumni Relations Team, who provide a range of resources to support our volunteers such as sending out invitations to local alumni as well as helping to promote events on our alumni events calendar and social media channels.
We are hugely grateful for the time and skills offered to us by our consuls, whose invaluable support has a tangible impact on the lives of Sussex alumni all over the globe. If you are interested in finding out more about the programme please click here.