Vogel, Johanna
Wo king Pape
The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional and
ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial o alumni
wo k
Discussion Pape , No. 24/2021
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS), Bonn
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Vogel, Johanna (2021) : The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional and
ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial o alumni wo k, Discussion Pape , No. 24/2021, ISBN
978-3-96021-168-6, Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE), Bonn,
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Discussion Pape 24/2021
The T ans o ma i e Capaci y
o T ansna ional and
T ansdisciplina y Ne wo ks and
he Po en ial o Alumni Wo k
Johanna Vogel
The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional
and ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial
o alumni wo k
Johanna Vogel
Bonn 2021
Discussion Pape / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik
ISSN (P in ) 1860-0441
ISSN (Online) 2512-8698
Excep as o he wise no ed, his Open Access publica ion is ee o ead, sha e and adap unde he e ms o he
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ISBN 978-3-96021-168-6 (p in ed edi ion)
DOI:10.23661/dp24.2021
P in ed on eco- iendly, ce i ied pape
D Johanna Vogel is a esea che wi h he esea ch p og amme “In e - and T ansna ional Coope a ion” a he
Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE).
Email: johanna. [email protected]
Published wi h inancial suppo om he Fede al Minis y o Economic Coope a ion and De elopmen (BMZ).
© Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik gGmbH
Tulpen eld 6, 53113 Bonn
 +49 (0)228 94927-0
 +49 (0)228 94927-130
Email: [email protected]
h p://www.die-gdi.de
Abs ac
The Co ona pandemic has shown us mo e han any o he ecen e en ha when i comes o
a global c isis, we a e all in he same boa . In a complex wo ld, we need coope a ion o mee
global challenges. Ne wo ks can p o ide a s uc u e ha enables coope a ion and o e s
p omises o being lexible and adap able. This pape will ocus on ansna ional and
ansdisciplina y knowledge ne wo ks o med by alumni – people who ha e expe ienced
collec i e aining a he s a o hei ne wo k jou neys. Th ough his sha ed expe ience, I
see a special po en ial o hese ypes o ne wo ks o engage in collabo a i e wo k and c ea e
a wide impac in socie y. The o e all ques ion o his pape is: How can knowledge
ne wo ks ully de elop hei ans o ma i e po en ial h ough s a egic alumni
managemen ? This ques ion is o in e es o ne wo k acili a o s, especially o alumni
ne wo ks.
In o de o add ess he challenge, he pape i s p esen s indings om he alumni
managemen li e a u e ocusing on he de ini ion o alumni managemen , i s ele ance and
he li e s ages o ideal alumni. This is complemen ed by insigh s om he social mo emen
a ea ha highligh he de elopmen pa hs o ne wo ks as well as he success ac o s o
social impac ne wo ks. Empi ical examples om exis ing alumni ne wo ks elabo a e he
success ac o s wi hin hei wo k. F om hese h ee a eas, i e ecommenda ions a e
deduced. In o de o os e ans o ma ion and c ea e social impac beyond hei ne wo ks,
alumni ne wo ks should:
(1) align hei ac i i ies o he li e s ages o hei alumni,
(2) es ablish and nu u e us ul ela ions among hei ne wo k membe s – encompassing
all elemen s o us (bene olence and con idence, eliabili y and p edic abili y,
compe ence, hones y, openness as well as amilia i y and in imacy),
(3) ini ia e and con inually wo k on a collabo a i e we-iden i y p ocess,
(4) p o ide suppo ing s uc u es ha allow o making easy connec ions as well as
(5) enable sel -o ganisa ion.
When hese i e ecommenda ions a e aken in o conside a ion, knowledge ne wo ks ha e
a g ea po en ial o suppo socie al change.

Acknowledgemen s
This pape eme ged in he con ex o he Managing Global Go e nance (MGG) Ne wo k. I
am pa o he acili a ion eam. As ne wo k acili a o , he Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e /
Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE) is especially in e es ed in u he
de eloping he ne wo k’s po en ial o c ea e ans o ma ion owa ds sus ainabili y.
The MGG Ne wo k’s o e a ching mission is o add ess he challenges o global go e nance
and, mo e speci ically, o suppo he implemen a ion o he Uni ed Na ions 2030 Agenda
o Sus ainable De elopmen . Ne wo k ac i i ies consis o h ee in e connec ed elemen s:
aining, policy dialogue and knowledge coope a ion. The aining p og amme – he MGG
Academy – has aken place e e y yea since 2007 and las s ou mon hs.1 The co e idea o
he MGG Academy is o de elop pa icipan s’ capaci y as change make s. We conside
change make s o be indi iduals who ake leading oles in he global ans o ma ion owa ds
mo e sus ainable and jus socie ies. Change make s combine ambi ion, knowledge,
compe ence and a i ude o he global common good. The p og amme is ansdisciplina y
and a ge ed a young p o essionals om academia, poli ics, he p i a e and business sec o s
as well as ci il socie y. Addi ionally, he p og amme is ansna ional. Pa icipan s come
om he eme ging economies in he Global Sou h (China, B azil, India, Mexico, Indonesia
and Sou h A ica) and he Global No h ( he Eu opean Union). A e pa icipa ing in he
MGG Academy, pa icipan s become pa o he MGG Ne wo k and engage in policy
dialogues and knowledge coope a ion o ma s. Beyond he indi iduals, he MGG Ne wo k
comp ises pa ne ins i u ions ac oss di e en sec o s. Cu en ly (2020), he ne wo k
consis s o almos 400 alumni and a ound 100 pa ne ins i u ions. The MGG Ne wo k aims
a ini ia ing and implemen ing ans o ma ion wi hin ins i u ions and socie y as a whole.
The p og amme is inanced by he Ge man Fede al Minis y o Economic Coope a ion and
De elopmen (BMZ) and implemen ed by he DIE.2
He e I wan o exp ess my deep g a i ude o e iewe s D Ta jana Reibe , D Wul Reine s,
D S en G imm and Vic o ia Gonsio o hei u mos aluable eedbacks. Addi ionally, I
wan o hank my in e iewees, Gesa Gising, D Heidi Wedel, D Klaus Mande la, D
Regine Mehl, D Ta jana Reibe and E a Lynde s, o hei p o ound and open insigh s in o
hei wo k.
Bonn, Sep embe 2021 Johanna Vogel
1 See h ps://www.die-
gdi.de/ ileadmin/use _upload/pd s/Ausbildung/GGS/20181024_DIE_MGG_AcademyFlye _2018.pd .
2 Fo mo e in o ma ion on he MGG Ne wo k, see hei websi e: h ps://www.die-gdi.de/en/managing-
global-go e nance/.
Con en s
Abs ac
Acknowledgemen s
1 In oduc ion 1
2 Alumni managemen li e a u e 2
2.1 De ining alumni managemen and i s ele ance 2
2.2 Alumni de elopmen o e ime 3
3 Social mo emen li e a u e 4
3.1 Ne wo k de elopmen and success ac o s 4
3.2 Implica ions o alumni ne wo ks 8
4 Examples o alumni ne wo ks: Success ac o s om he p ac ice 10
5 Becoming a ans o ma i e alumni ne wo k 13
6 Conclusions 16
Re e ences 18
Figu es
Figu e 1: Li e s ages o alumni 3
Figu e 2: Ne wo k e olu ion 10
Tables
Table 1: Compa ing AA, DAAD, he Humbold Founda ion and he iac Be lin 12
Table 2: Cha ac e is ics and condi ions o de elop ne wo ks’ ans o ma i e
capaci ies 13
Abb e ia ions
AA Ge man Fede al Fo eign O ice / Auswä iges Am
DAAD Ge man Academic Exchange Se ice / Deu sche Akademische Aus auschdiens
DIE Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik
iac Be lin In e na ional Alumni Cen e (Robe Bosch Founda ion)
MGG Managing Global Go e nance
The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional and ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial o alumni wo k
Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE) 1
1 In oduc ion
The Co ona pandemic has shown us mo e han any ecen e en ha when i comes o a
global c isis, we a e all in he same boa . In a complex wo ld, we need coope a ion o mee
global challenges. Ne wo ks can p o ide a s uc u e ha enables coope a ion and o e s
p omises o being lexible and adap able – compe encies e y much needed in an
inc easingly changing socie y. Ne wo ks can also o e a cul u e o la hie a chies, which
allow o pa icipa ion and in eg a ion – u he essen ial ing edien s o collec i ely de ine
solu ions o global challenges. These a e jus a ew easons why ne wo ks a e a sui able
space o discuss global challenges and can be used as ins umen s o p omo e socie al
change. He e I will ocus on ansna ional and ansdisciplina y knowledge ne wo ks o med
by alumni. These ypes o ne wo ks consis o people who ha e expe ienced collec i e
aining a he s a o hei ne wo k jou neys. Th ough his sha ed expe ience, I see a special
po en ial o hese ypes o ne wo ks o engage in collabo a i e wo k and c ea e a wide
impac in socie y. How can his capaci y be p omo ed? The e o e, he o e all ques ion o
his pape is: How can knowledge ne wo ks ully de elop hei ans o ma i e po en ial
h ough s a egic alumni managemen ?3
Knowledge ne wo ks c ea e spaces ha can enable ans o ma i e capaci y. In o de o do
so, hey should be ansna ional, ansdisciplina y and ac sys emically – which means
looking a he indi idual sphe es o he wo ld as a whole. T ansna ional and
ansdisciplina y ne wo ks b ing oge he ac o s om di e en coun ies and di e se
disciplines wi h a common aim. In his di e si y o pe spec i es and bundle o capaci ies
lies he key o collec i ely de ining p oblems and c ea ing inno a i e solu ions.
T ansna ional and ansdisciplina y ne wo ks can be a labo a o y o expe imen wi h
e ec i e and e icien ways o coope a ion ha os e ans o ma ion.
The empi ical wo k o his s udy on alumni managemen s uc u es s a ed in 2017, when
he Managing Global Go e nance (MGG) Ne wo k aimed a p o essionalising and
s uc u alising i s alumni wo k. The ne wo k hen had i s 10 h anni e sa y and s a ed
g owing. I was ime o de elop a s a egic alumni concep o u he p omo e he impac o
he ne wo k. On he basis o a li e a u e e iew ega ding alumni managemen s uc u es
and in e iews wi h di e se coo dina o s o alumni ne wo ks, he MGG Ne wo k de eloped
an alumni s a egy. Exis ing alumni managemen li e a u e did no p o ide su icien
answe s o u he p omo e ans o ma ion owa ds sus ainabili y. P ac ical handbooks on
ne wo k de elopmen in he social mo emen a ea illed his gap. All h ee s ands –
in e iews wi h p ac i ione s coo dina ing alumni wo k as well as heo e ical inpu s om
he alumni managemen li e a u e and he social mo emen ne wo k de elopmen li e a u e
–we e combined o answe he ques ion: Wha does i ake o de elop a ne wo k’s
ans o ma i e capaci y h ough alumni wo k?
Alumni wo k o ne wo k managemen is unde s ood he e as he p o ision o s uc u es ha
suppo a g oup o o me pa icipan s o a aining o ma o s eng hen hei ne wo k
among each o he and be ween hem and he hos ing ins i u ion. Alumni ne wo ks can be
conside ed as special ypes o ansna ional knowledge ne wo ks. This pape aims a
esea ch and educa ion o ganisa ions ha seek o gain insigh s on how o bene i om
alumni wo k in o de o main ain and inc ease hei ansna ional ne wo ks and boos hei
3 Alumni managemen and alumni wo k a e used as synonyms.
Johanna Vogel
8 Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE)
some hing happen” (Holley, 2012, p. 20). The mo e ha sel -o ganisa ion is suppo ed by
ne wo k s uc u es o acili a o s, he mo e collabo a i e he p ojec s ha eme ge. “Ac ion
in ne wo ks is ocused on oppo uni ies and le e age poin s ha ha e he g ea es chance o
making a di e ence” (Holley, 2012, p. 21). Fo ne wo k acili a o s, suppo ing ac ions
include: encou aging people o ake ini ia i e, clus e ing people in e es ed in he same
p ojec s and os e ing collabo a ion. Making ac ions mo e likely is s ongly in e linked wi h
se ing up suppo ing s uc u es o he ne wo k (Holley, 2012, p. 23).
Sel -o ganisa ion is a c ucial p inciple o c ea ing ac ions wi hin a ne wo k. I makes
ne wo ks mo e inno a i e and adap able, because i in insically mo i a es people o wo k
and ollow hei passions. Sel -o ganising also encou ages expe imen a ion, which is c ucial
o c ea e b eak h oughs ha make a di e ence. Being mo e lexible h ough sel -o ganised
p ojec s allows people o ake ad an age o he mos p omising oppo uni ies (Holley, 2012,
p. 170). Sel -o ganisa ion is “ he aspec o ne wo ks ha is mos likely o b ing
ans o ma ion” (Holley, 2012, p. 170).
3.2 Implica ions o alumni ne wo ks
The de elopmen pa hways o social impac ne wo ks by Plas ik e al. (2014) and Holley’s
(2012) success ac o s o ne wo k de elopmen complemen each o he . Thei li e a u e is
bene icial in allowing us o be e unde s and how o enable alumni ne wo ks o a ain
ans o ma ion owa ds sus ainabili y. Since his pape is ocusing on knowledge ne wo ks
consis ing o alumni – in con as o social impac ne wo ks consis ing o ac i is s – he
ollowing ca ego isa ions o knowledge ne wo ks aiming o achie e social impac is sugges ed
he e: Ne wo k o belonging, ansac ional ne wo k and ans o ma i e ne wo k.5 These
ca ego isa ions a e simila o he ca ego isa ions o ne wo ks o connec i i y, alignmen
ne wo ks and p oduc ion ne wo ks. In o de o highligh whe e he connec i i y wi hin alumni
ne wo ks comes om, he i s ype is named ne wo k o belonging, he second ype o
ne wo k is domina ed by suppo and ansac ions ac oss he ne wo k, while he las ype o
ne wo k has ans o ma i e po en ial in p oducing join ac ion.
Alumni ne wo ks a e especially s ong in ini ia ing and cul i a ing us . The collec i e
expe ience a he s a o he ne wo k’s de elopmen se s he ounda ion o his cul i a ion
o us . The e o e, alumni ne wo ks de elop in a sligh ly di e en manne han social
impac ne wo ks. Fi s , he eeling o belonging oge he (ne wo k o belonging) is s ong;
o e ime, mu ual suppo and join ac ion eme ges ( ansac ional ne wo k), and inally, join
p ojec s wi h social impac can de elop ( ans o ma i e ne wo k). Ca ego ising alumni
ne wo ks his way helps ne wo k coo dina o s o be e ailo hei ne wo k s a egies,
unde s and he de elopmen o hei ne wo ks and iden i y unused po en ial. One o he
main asse s alumni ne wo ks ha e is he collec i e expe ience ha alumni sha e. The le el
o us is especially high among he ne wo k membe s, which can make hem mo e e icien
in c ea ing sha ed impac . On he o he side, ca ego ising alumni ne wo ks acco ding o
social impac ne wo k de elopmen pa hways helps o boos e ec i eness wi hin alumni
5 The In e na ional Alumni Cen e (iac) o he Bosch Alumni Founda ion used hese e ms a a con e ence
(Rich e & Menz, 2020). He e hey a e en iched wi h indings om alumni and ne wo k de elopmen
li e a u e.

The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional and ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial o alumni wo k
Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE) 9
ne wo ks. The di e en ypes o ansna ional knowledge ne wo ks consis ing o alumni a e
desc ibed he e in mo e de ail.
O e all, he ecip oci y o ela ions wi hin he ne wo k o belonging is cha ac e ised as a
sense o belonging. Membe s migh eel as pa o a amily due o he collec i e expe ience
hey ha e sha ed. The ne wo k membe s eel g a i ude owa ds he hos ins i u ion o his
sha ed and o en con inually changing expe ience. T us , which ideally has been buil up
du ing he sha ed expe ience, is u he nu u ed and inc eased. The ole o he ne wo k
acili a o s in his ne wo k ype is o nu u e and main ain his connec i i y.
In a ansac ional ne wo k, he goal hen is o sha e con ac s and imp o e p o essional
ne wo ks. Ne wo k membe s aim o imp o e hei pe sonal ca ee s h ough ne wo k
con ac s. In his s ep o ne wo k de elopmen , ne wo k membe s migh also de elop he
desi e o o mula e sha ed goals o he ne wo k. Ne wo k acili a o s should p o ide
s uc u es ha allow o easy in o ma ion-sha ing and connec ing wi h hei ne wo k
membe s, as well as acili a e g oup p ocesses. One possible ool o suppo he de elopmen
om a ne wo k o belonging o a ansac ional ne wo k is he es ablishmen o wo king
g oups, which a e se up a ound di e en opics. As a ne wo k acili a o , you ha e he
op ion o suppo his p ocess o u he inc ease you ne wo k’s de elopmen (Plas ik e
al., 2014, p. 107). Se ing up wo king g oups can also be a s uc u e o u he p omo e he
ne wo k’s e olu ion owa ds a ans o ma i e ne wo k.
In ans o ma i e ne wo ks, he goal is o c ea e join p ojec s wi h impac beyond he
ne wo k o o ini ia e ans o ma ion in a wide social o ins i u ional se ing. This ype o
ne wo k is o ien ed owa ds a sha ed goal. Membe s can be ega ded as inno a o s o change
make s (see Holley, 2012). Ne wo k membe s become change make s i hey ake
esponsibili y o shape change wi hin socie y, hei ins i u ional con ex o hei p i a e
en i onmen . In his s ep, collec i e ac ion is os e ed o p oduce inno a i e p ac ices,
public-policy p oposals o o he p ojec s ha migh ha e social impac (Plas ik e al., 2014,
p. 35). Ne wo k acili a o s should suppo o ganising and implemen ing collec i e wo k
p ocesses and pe o mances (Plas ik e al., 2014, p. 105). This p ocess demands much
clea e ag eemen s abou esponsibili ies and ime schedules as well as mechanisms ha
hold people accoun able o deli e y (Plas ik e al., 2014).
A each s age, he le el o connec i i y be ween ne wo k membe s inc eases and builds on
he p e ious achie emen s. On he le el o ansac ion, p o iding easy access o con ac
de ails and managing g oup p ocesses is essen ial. Shi ing owa ds c ea ing join p ojec s
and becoming a ans o ma i e ne wo k equi e e en mo e commi men om he membe s.
The le el o in e dependence is much deepe han in he p e ious ne wo k de elopmen
s eps (Plas ik e al., 2014, pp. 106-111). The ollowing g aph illus a es he h ee s eps o
ne wo k de elopmen , combining insigh s o he alumni and social mo emen li e a u e.
Johanna Vogel
10 Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE)
Figu e 2: Ne wo k e olu ion
Sou ce: Au ho , based on Plas ik e al. (2014)
4 Examples o alumni ne wo ks: Success ac o s om he p ac ice
Alumni coo dina o s we e in e iewed in o de o see how alumni ne wo ks cha ac e ise
hemsel es and wha hey iden i y as success ac o s in hei applied ne wo k managemen .
Empi ical examples om he alumni coo dina o s helped in de ec ing clea e
ecommenda ions o de eloping ans o ma i e alumni ne wo ks. Success ac o s o
alumni managemen om p ac ice we e ela ed o heo e ical insigh s om he alumni
managemen li e a u e as well as om he social mo emen li e a u e. These included he
Fede al Fo eign O ice (Auswä iges Am , AA), he Ge man Academic Exchange Se ice
(Deu sche Akademische Aus auschdiens , DAAD) and he Alexande - on-Humbold
Founda ion as well as he iac Be lin (In e na ional Alumni Cen e o he Robe Bosch
Founda ion). Apa om being impo an ac o s shaping ansna ional knowledge
coope a ion, he ins i u ions’ expe ience wi h alumni managemen and he employmen o
a pe son dedica ed o alumni wo k we e c i e ia o selec ing hese examples.
(1) The AA ep esen s a public na ional body whose alumni numbe app oxima ely 3,500
diploma s (Gising, 2017). As an in e na ional alumni ne wo k and coope a ion pa ne
o he MGG Ne wo k, he AA was chosen as an example.
(2) The DAAD, o i s pa , is a unding o ganisa ion o s uden s and esea che s – a se ice
ha goes back o 1925. In 2018 i coun ed 160 associa ions in 98 coun ies; in 2017
nea ly 140,000 people we e unded by he DAAD (Deu sche Akademische
Aus auschdiens , s.a.). Because o i s long yea s o expe ience in alumni wo k, insigh s
om he DAAD alumni managemen we e conside ed ele an .
The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional and ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial o alumni wo k
Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE) 11
(3) The Humbold Founda ion p omo es academic coope a ion be ween schola s and
esea che s. Suppo ing, main aining and inc easing he Humbold Ne wo k, which
consis ed o abou 29,000 scien is in 2018, a e some o he co e aims o he Humbold
Founda ion (s.a.-a). I p ides i sel on es ablishing a special spi i and p ide o hose
who a e pa o he Humbold Ne wo k, which made he Humbold alumni’s wo k
pa icula ly en icing o analyse.
(4) The Robe Bosch Founda ion’s alumni ac i i ies a e coo dina ed by he In e na ional
Alumni Cen e (iac Be lin) – a compe ence cen e o impac -o ien ed alumni wo k. The
iac Be lin was ounded in 2017 and de elops and coo dina es he Bosch Alumni ac i i ies.
As o 2020, he ne wo k coun ed 6,600 membe s ac oss coun ies and sec o s. I also
unc ions as an ad iso o o he ne wo ks in he a ea o philan h opy and ad ises o he
ne wo ks and ounda ions in his a ea. The main aim o his ne wo k is o c ea e
ans o ma ion in socie y beyond he ne wo k. This is e y simila o he MGG Ne wo k,
which is why he iac Be lin was chosen as an example (Rich e & Menz, 2020).
In he ollowing, he alumni ac i i ies o he ou ins i u ions a e p esen ed in an o e iew
(see Table 1 below) in o de o explo e how hey suppo long- e m ansna ional knowledge
coope a ion. The alumni s a egies ha e been s uc u ed along he ca ego ies: aims, ocus,
ac i i ies, ype o alumni managemen s uc u es and success ac o s acco ding o he
ne wo k manage s. These ca ego ies we e de i ed om he semi-s uc u ed quali a i e
in e iews, which we e conduc ed wi h he abo e-men ioned alumni coo dina o s.
The alumni se ices p o ided by he AA include issue-d i en egional mee ings, mee ings
in he Ge man language, inancial suppo o s eng hen owne ship and issue-d i en summe
schools (Gising, 2017). Pa o he DAAD’s alumni wo k is o p o ide unding o egional
alumni clubs and alumni mee ings (big ones o ganised by he DAAD, small ones o ganised
by he alumni clubs) and indi idual unding o alumni, such as unding o ma e ials, e-
in i a ion schola ships and special p ojec s (Wedel, 2017). The Humbold Founda ion
p o ides a g ea a ie y o unding o alumni om Ge many and o he coun ies. This
includes, o example, sponso ship o publica ions and scien i ic coope a ion be ween
membe s o he Humbold Ne wo k as well as suppo o being a hos o academics
(Humbold Founda ion, s.a.-b). The iac Be lin aims a c oss-sec o al exchanges be ween i s
membe s and os e ing in e na ional collabo a ions (Bosch Alumni Ne wo k, s.a.). The
ne wo k suppo s alumni in becoming change agen s. Special se ices ha he iac Be lin
o e s include: Lea ning Exchange g an s, p ac i ione s lab, webina s o suppo o egional
g oups and inno a i e change ideas (Rich e & Menz, 2020).
The able shows ha all ou alumni ne wo ks inco po a e cha ac e is ics o a ne wo k o
belonging. The DAAD speci ically poin s ou in i s aims ha i p omo es he long- e m
connec ion i has wi h Ge many. All alumni ne wo ks o ganise egula mee ings and
main ain da abanks o keep in ouch. The AA, he DAAD and he Humbold Founda ion
named bo h elemen s as success ac o s. Especially he AA and he iac Be lin ocus on opics
ha can be in e p e ed as elemen s o ansac ional ne wo ks, aligning he ne wo k
membe s’ capaci ies so hey can wo k on sha ed opics. All ou alumni ne wo ks p o ide
s uc u es o manage hei ne wo ks – employing pe sons who a e speci ically esponsible
o ne wo k de elopmen . This s uc u al elemen is impo an o all h ee ypes o alumni
ne wo ks. The iac Be lin and he AA suppo and y o enable sel -o ganisa ion – one o
he success ac o s o ans o ma i e ne wo ks. Fu he mo e, he iac Be lin aims a
Johanna Vogel
12 Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE)
suppo ing alumni in becoming change make s – ano he cha ac e is ic o ans o ma i e
ne wo ks. In he las sec ion, he ac o s ha a e needed o u he de elop an alumni
ne wo k’s ans o ma i e po en ial a e elabo a ed.
Table 1: Compa ing AA, DAAD, he Humbold Founda ion and he iac Be lin
AA DAAD Humbold
Founda ion
iac Be lin
Ac i i ies Issue-d i en
egional mee ings
Mee ings in
Ge man language
Financial suppo o
owne ship
Issue-d i en
summe school
Funds o egional
alumni clubs
Big and small
alumni mee ings
Funds o
indi iduals
Sponso ship o a
g ea a ie y o
ac i i ies o
Ge man and o eign
alumni, such as:
esea ch s ays,
ma e ials,
con e ences,
colloquiums,
publica ions
Lea ning exchange
g an s
P ac i ione s lab
Webina s
Monday on he
couch
Regional g oups
Call o ideas
Aims P omo e he ideas
and alues o he
Fede al Fo eign
O ice
Ne wo king; AA is
in e es ed in opics
Long- e m
connec ion wi h
Ge many
Con ibu e o
peace ul
communica ion,
p e en ion o
con lic s
In e na ionalisa ion
Mobilisa ion
Linking economy
and science
Suppo
in e cul u al and
science dialogues
Keep con ac wi h
esea che s as
con ac pe sons
S eng hen
Ge many as a
esea ch loca ion
Use know-how and
expe ise
Con ibu e o
de elopmen
coope a ion
Suppo alumni o
be change make s
in socie y
Use alumni as inpu
gi e s o
ounda ion
Focus on Topics People People Topics
Type o
alumni-
managemen
s uc u e
Cen alised
Cus omised con ac
managemen
Cen alised Decen alised Cen alised h ough
he iac Be lin
Success
ac o s
acco ding o
ne wo k
manage s
Cen alised
communica ion and
o ganisa ion
Up- o-da e
da abank ool
Issue-d i en, in-
pe son e en s
Up- o-da e
da abank; il e
acco ding o
keywo ds
P o ides added-
alue o he alumni
Global alumni
mee ings
Up- o-da e
da abank
Sponso ship
Ma ke ing
Thema ic clus e
and impac ields
Enable sel -
o ganisa ion
Sou ce: Au ho
The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional and ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial o alumni wo k
Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE) 13
5 Becoming a ans o ma i e alumni ne wo k
The main aim o his pape was o p o ide an answe o ne wo k acili a o s – especially
hose in alumni ne wo ks – abou how o de elop hei ne wo k’s capaci y o c ea e
ans o ma ion owa ds sus ainabili y. Fi s , he alumni managemen li e a u e was p esen ed
o explo e he de ini ion and bene i s o alumni managemen in gene al. Alumni managemen
is one o m o ne wo k de elopmen in which, ideally, he hos ing ins i u ion and he alumni
bo h bene i om con inued in e ac ion. The analyses o he alumni managemen li e a u e
demons a ed ha alumni ne wo ks’ g ea es po en ial lies in hei sha ed expe ience. Ne wo k
pa icipan s ha e expe ienced an especially in ensi e and o en li e-changing ime oge he .
Tha c ea es especially s ong connec ions and ela ions among his g oup o people.
Ob iously, hese connec ions and le els o us we e p ima ily buil wi hin one g oup. The
challenge o ne wo k acili a o s is o expand hese us ul ela ions beyond one g oup and
sp ead hem ac oss all ne wo k membe s. Ne e heless, his is an ad an age ha alumni
ne wo ks ha e, in con as o o he ne wo ks om, o example, he social mo emen a ea.
Findings om he p e ious sec ions a e now combined and illus a ed in he ollowing
Table 2, which summa ises and cha ac e ises he necessa y condi ions ha suppo ne wo ks
in eaching hei espec i e aims. The i s column lis s he h ee di e en s eps o an ideal
ne wo k e olu ion: 1. Ne wo k o Belonging, 2. T ansac ional Ne wo k and 3.
T ans o ma i e Ne wo k (see Sec ion 3.1). The i s ow displays he necessa y elemen s o
c ea e a success ul ne wo k (as explained in de ail in Sec ion 3.2): connec ions in he o m
o ela ions and us , a ne wo k iden i y (including a pu pose, ision, mission, alues,
compe encies, le e age poin s), suppo ing s uc u es and ac i i ies. Ideally, ans o ma i e
ne wo ks include all condi ions o he o he wo ne wo k ypes. In eali y, he di e en s eps
and condi ions mos ly do no de elop in a linea p ocess.
Table 2: Cha ac e is ics and condi ions o de elop ne wo ks’ ans o ma i e capaci ies
Condi ions o /
ne wo k e olu ion
(connec ed human
desi e)
Ac i i ies Connec ion/
ela ions/
us
Ne wo k
iden i y
Suppo ing s uc u es
Ne wo k o belonging
(belonging and
connec ing)
Nos algic ge -
oge he s
Ac s o
g a i ude
(dona ions)
Con idence
Pe sonal
amilia i y
Compe ency
Nos algic/sha ed
expe iences in
pas
Main ain op o da e
da abank
T ansac ional ne wo ks
(sha ing)
Sha ing
con ac s,
b inging
people
oge he ,
men o ing
Openness
Hones y
Au hen ici y
Sha e con ac s
P o essional
ne wo k
Es ablish sha ed
iden i y (?)
Accessibili y o
con ac de ails,
making easy
connec ions
T ans o ma i e
ne wo ks
(making a di e ence)
C ea e sha ed
opics wi h
social impac
Commi men
Dedica ion
Sha ed u u e
na a i e
Enabling owne ship/
Facili a e p ojec
implemen a ion
P o ide eedback
s uc u es
Sou ce: Au ho

Johanna Vogel
14 Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE)
I now ecommend i e ac o s o suppo alumni ne wo ks in de eloping hei
ans o ma i e po en ial.
Recommenda ion #1: Align you ac i i ies o he li e s ages o you alumni
Keeping alumni engaged is mos p omising when he hos ing ins i u ion add esses he
alumni’s speci ic needs o e ime. Alumni ha e di e en expe iences ha change o e ime
due o ca ee choices and di e en s ages o li e. Typically, a pa icipan de elops om a
esh alumnus*a (wi h s ong sense o belonging bu expe iencing challenges o e u ning
home) in o a junio alumnus*a wi h a s onge in e es in ne wo ks bu also g ea e amily
and ca ee esponsibili ies, be o e becoming a midli e alumnus*a whose epu a ion has
g own while he amoun o ee ime as well as need o ne wo ks ha e inc eased. A
nos algic alumnus*a is ypically ull o g a i ude and willing o gi e back. These ypes o
senio s use ne wo ks egula ly. Wi h ega d o ans o ma i e ne wo ks, esh alumni a e
o en especially dedica ed o making a di e ence and a e s ill ull o spi i and mo i a ed o
make change happen. O e he yea s, p i a e and p o essional esponsibili ies end o
inc ease. Midli e- and nos algic alumni can la e become impo an “ne wo k wea e s” wi h
a wide ange o connec ions ( ansac ional ne wo ks), de elop eelings o g a i ude (ne wo k
o belonging), ha e expe iences in expe imen ing and inno a ing, as well as acqui ing
know-how o c ea e change. Nos algic alumni migh ha e collec ed expe iences as change
make s and ideally sha e hei knowledge wi h esh alumni ( ans o ma i e ne wo ks).
To main ain his ne wo k o belonging, hos ins i u ions should nu u e he s ong
connec ions, o example h ough egula ace- o- ace mee ings, in which nos algic
memo ies a e cul i a ed. The DAAD, he Humbold Founda ion and he MGG Ne wo k do
his h ough egula domes ic and in e na ional alumni mee ings. S ong memo ies come
back especially when he mee ings ake place in he same loca ions as he p io expe iences
had aken place, which nu u es a sense o belonging. An up- o-da e da abank is c ucial o
enabling egula alumni mee ings. Alumni eel a deep g a i ude and a willingness o gi e
some hing back.
Recommenda ion # 2: In es in us -building
The social mo emen li e a u e and p ac ical ne wo k de elopmen handbooks p o ide
impo an ecommenda ions on how o make ne wo ks success ul. June Holley (2012)
ecommends wo king on he ollowing aspec s o c ea e success ul ne wo ks: ela ionships,
in en ions, suppo s uc u es and ac ions. C ea ing ela ions, which bene i success ul
ne wo ks, include: connec ing people, building us and b inging new people in o he
ne wo k. This pape ega ds us as he undamen al basis on which ela ions a e g ounded,
because he mo e ha us ul ela ions exis , he mo e he numbe o collabo a ion p ocesses
wi hin he ne wo ks. T us allows ne wo k membe s o economise in o ma ion, inc eases
e iciencies, ansac ion cos s a e lowe ed and decision-making p ocesses a e simpli ied.
T us suppo s knowledge-sha ing while acili a ing coope a ion and sha ed p oblem-
sol ing, which a e all co e unc ions o success ul ne wo ks. This pape sugges s wo king
wi h Meghan Tschannen-Mo an and Wayne Hoy’s de ini ion o us , which desc ibes
bene olence and con idence; eliabili y and p edic abili y; compe ence; hones y; openness
as well as amilia i y as being essen ial elemen s o us . Wo king wi h hese di e en
no ions o us allows ne wo k acili a o s and membe s o ope a ionalise us in e e yday
p ac ices.
The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional and ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial o alumni wo k
Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE) 15
In alumni ne wo ks o belonging especially, aspec s o us such as pe sonal amilia i y,
con idence and compe ence play impo an oles. Du ing he sha ed aining expe ience, a
undamen al us in he ne wo k – bu also in he o he pa icipan s – should ha e been
de eloped. Ne wo k acili a o s should no miss he oppo uni y o seed he undamen al
condi ions o a s ong sense o belonging and deep us in his i s collec i e expe ience.
La e , ne wo k acili a o s no mally use alumni mee ings o e i e he ne wo k’s iden i y
and main ain us ul ela ions. O e ime esh alumni become nos algic alumni, ideally
look back ull o g a i ude, and a e willing o suppo hei hos ing ins i u ion and ellow
ne wo k membe s. In ansac ional alumni ne wo ks, he aspec s o openness, hones y and
au hen ici y become addi ionally impo an . Only when expe iencing mu ual openness and
hones y wi hin he ne wo k will membe s sha e hei p o essional con ac s. Wi hin
ansac ional alumni ne wo ks, he las aspec s o us – commi men and dedica ion – play
a c ucial ole. The ini ia ing and implemen ing o join p ojec s demands much mo e
commi men and dedica ion han only sha ing knowledge and in o ma ion ega ding
p o essional con ac s.
Recommenda ion # 3: De elop a we-iden i y
The hi d elemen , which is c ucial o success ul ne wo ks acco ding o June Holley, is
in en ions o a ne wo k’s “we-iden i y”. We-iden i ies a e a se o collec i e no ms and
belie s ha suppo he building o mu ual us . Ideally, we-iden i ies a e c ea ed oge he
wi hin he ne wo k and encompass dimensions such as he ne wo k’s pu pose, ision,
mission, compe encies, alues and le e age poin s. Whe eas in alumni ne wo ks o
belonging he ne wo k’s iden i y no mally ocuses only on a sha ed expe ience in he pas ,
in ansac ional ne wo ks, membe s o en s a o es ablish iden i ies ha goes beyond his.
T ans o ma i e ne wo ks hen need o es ablish a sha ed u u e na a i e o c ea e p ojec s
wi h social impac beyond hei ne wo k. Wha is he ne wo k’s ision and mission o he
u u e? Wha is he ne wo k’s pu pose? Which le e age poin s do he ne wo k membe s see
o c ea ing impac ? Addi ionally, he o he aspec s o a ne wo k’s iden i y should also be
con inually wo ked on, such as he ne wo k’s alues and compe encies. This p ocess should
be pa icipa o y and collec i e. The whole ne wo k should be able o con ibu e in o de o
c ea e legi imacy. A collec i ely es ablished we-iden i y can unc ion as a guiding
amewo k o he ne wo k’s ac ions. The Humbold Founda ion cul i a es a e y s ong
we-iden i y and spi i o oge he ness, which is illus a ed in hei claim “once a
Humbold ian, always a Humbold ian”.
Recommenda ion # 4: P o ide suppo ing s uc u es o making easy connec ions
To be success ul, ne wo ks should c ea e suppo ing s uc u es, which enable ac ion.
Suppo i e s uc u es wi hin a ne wo k can include se ing up communica ion sys ems,
digi al communi y pla o ms, helping people o use social media, enabling and suppo ing
collabo a ion p ocesses as well as e alua ing and e lec ing on he ne wo k’s impac . In
alumni ne wo ks o belonging, ne wo k acili a o s mos ly o ganise egula alumni mee ings
o nu u e sha ed memo ies. T ansac ional ne wo ks addi ionally p o ide s uc u es ha
enable making easy connec ions and he sha ing o con ac s among ne wo k membe s.
Ac ions usually include connec ing like-minded people and enabling new business
oppo uni ies. The alumni ne wo k o he AA bene i s om sha ing p o essional con ac s.
Johanna Vogel
16 Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE)
Recommenda ion # 5: Enable sel -o ganisa ion
One o he mos c ucial elemen s o ans o ma i e ne wo ks hough is c ea ing suppo ing
s uc u es ha include se ing up and ini ia ing sel -o ganisa ion wi hin he ne wo k. Sel -
o ganisa ion is he engine o collabo a ion p ojec s in ne wo ks. I is also he aspec ha is
mos likely o b ing ans o ma ion. Ne wo k acili a o s’ main goal should be o enable
sel -o ganisa ion and acili a e he implemen a ion o collabo a ion p ojec s. Ne wo k
acili a o s should also egula ly p omo e an ac i e eedback cul u e as well as e alua ion
mechanisms o he ne wo k’s impac . The iac Be lin and he AA ne wo k bo h highligh ed
how c ucial he enabling s uc u es a e o ini ia ing sel -o ganisa ion. The AA es ablished,
o example, an inno a ion und o suppo inno a ion wi hin hei ne wo k.
6 Conclusions
How knowledge ne wo ks can ully de elop hei ans o ma i e po en ial h ough s a egic
alumni managemen is ele an o alumni coo dina o s, ne wo k acili a o s and decision-
make s in ol ed in ne wo k ac i i ies. The pape de ined alumni managemen as being he
hos ing ins i u ion’s aim o p o essionalise, ins i u ionalise and s uc u e hei ne wo k o
o me pa icipan s who ha e comple ed a aining o educa ion p og amme. Fu he mo e,
he mu ual bene i s o he hos ing ins i u ion as well as o he alumni we e highligh ed.
F om his pe spec i e, alumni managemen is bene icial o a ange o aining o educa ion
ins i u ions. Ne wo ks a e an inc emen al pa o con empo a y socie y. The e o e,
imp o ing ne wo ks’ e iciency and impac is also ele an o sec o s beyond educa ion o
esea ch.
Ou indings a e based on a combina ion o he alumni managemen li e a u e, he social
mo emen li e a u e and empi ical examples om alumni ne wo ks, including he MGG
Ne wo k, which is hos ed by DIE. The i s ecommenda ion – align you ne wo k ac i i ies
o he li e s ages o alumni – was acqui ed om he alumni managemen li e a u e. In o he
sec o s, i could be applied o aligning you ne wo k’s ac i i ies o he needs o you a ge
g oup. The second ecommenda ion – o in es in us – is based on bo h he social
mo emen li e a u e and expe iences om he MGG Ne wo k. In es ing in us akes ime
and is a con inuous ask; in ac , i is essen ial o all o ms o coope a ion. The hi d
ecommenda ion – in es in de eloping a we-iden i y – is based on he social mo emen
li e a u e, expe iences om a ious alumni ne wo ks as well as on own p ocesses wi hin he
MGG Ne wo k. In es ing ime o de elop a sha ed ision helps o mo i a e collabo a ion
pa ne s and es ablishes common poin s o e e ence. The o h ecommenda ion – o
p o ide suppo ing s uc u es – is discussed in he alumni li e a u e, he social mo emen
li e a u e as well as in own in e iews wi h alumni coo dina o s. Wha is mean he e is o
c ea e s uc u es o o malise ini ially loose ne wo ks, which is an inc emen al s ep o
achie e a sha ed goal. The ecommenda ion o enable sel -o ganisa ion – ou i h and las
– is speci ically highligh ed wi hin he social mo emen ne wo k de elopmen li e a u e. I
is linked o he aspi a ion o achie ing ans o ma ion: C ea ing spaces and s uc u es o
sel -o ganisa ion is essen ial o c ea ing impac beyond he con ines o one’s own ne wo k.
The ans o ma i e capaci y o ansna ional and ansdisciplina y ne wo ks and he po en ial o alumni wo k
Ge man De elopmen Ins i u e / Deu sches Ins i u ü En wicklungspoli ik (DIE) 17
In sho , ans o ma i e alumni ne wo ks need o
(1) align hei ac i i ies o he li e s ages o hei alumni,
(2) es ablish and nu u e us ul ela ions among hei ne wo k membe s – encompassing
all elemen s o us (bene olence and con idence, eliabili y and p edic abili y,
compe ence, hones y, openness as well as amilia i y and in imacy),
(3) ini ia e and con inually wo k on a collabo a i e we-iden i y p ocess,
(4) p o ide suppo ing s uc u es ha allow o making easy connec ions as well as
(5) enable sel -o ganisa ion.
I a gue ha when an alumni coo dina o , ne wo k acili a o o decision-make in ol ed in
ne wo ks akes hese i e ecommenda ions in o conside a ion, i enhances he po en ial o
a knowledge ne wo k o suppo socie al change.
Ne wo ks a e a ool o acili a e coope a ion, enable collabo a ion on eye-le el and c ea e
space o mu ual dialogue. Wi h he inc easing complexi y o socie y’s challenges – he
Co ona pandemic, clima e change, mig a ion, cybe c iminali y and many mo e, o name
jus some examples – ne wo ks a e becoming mo e impo an . Global issues demand
collabo a i e solu ions and canno be ackled by one na ion o one ac o alone; i s ,
ag eemen needs o be eached on he p io i ies o ackling he challenges on a global scale
so ha impo an ac o s a e – o can be – b ough on boa d. Communi ies and socie ies need
o coope a e in o de o collec i ely de ine he p oblems and ind he solu ions, he eby
including a a ie y o pe spec i es and inc easing he legi imacy and local sui abili y o
sugges ed solu ions. F om a ne wo k membe ’s pe spec i e, he ne wo k needs o be
ele an o he cu en s age o his o he p o essional li e – while also con ibu ing o he
g ea e common good ha he espec i e g oup is aiming o . Al hough his pape ocused
on ans o ma i e alumni ne wo ks, ou ecommenda ions can also be conside ed o
di e en ypes o ne wo ks o imp o e hei social and poli ical impac s. In es ing in us ,
a sha ed ision and s uc u es o sel -o ganisa ion a e especially e ec i e ins umen s o
inc easing coope a ion o wo k on complex challenges.