MKUR alumni association grows from strength to strength
During the 2013 graduation party, MKU Chairman Prof Simon Gicharu launched the Rwanda Chapter of the MKU Alumni Association.
He urged MKU Rwanda to join the association, network and share ideas with colleagues. “With the full EAC integration, cast your net even wider,” he told them.
MKU Rwanda established an Alumni Relations Office. This office keeps in constant touch with MKU Rwanda graduates to keep them abreast of all the exciting activities open to them as alumni, and the benefits that come with being a graduate of the university.
The coordinator who ran the office in the early years, Patrice Baraka, said the host of activities it organises goes a long way in opening new paths for alumni. Activities such as career networking, social events, educational programmes, cultural and sporting activities as well as volunteerism, enhance alumni profiles.
The office also organises and facilitates exit trainings, workshops, exhibitions, conferences and inter-student academic competitions and forums.
“The Alumni Association provides a lifelong connection to our alumni through a variety of programmes and services,” says Patrice Baraka. “You get more than the satisfaction of staying connected and making a difference. Membership gives you access to exclusive benefits, unique events, and valuable discounts.”
He was the first Alumni Relations Officer. In the beginning, the task was hard because the office was new and “I was supposed to create activities and looking for contacts of people who graduated in MKU, getting such Records was very hard but in the end I made it. I had to create the vision and mission of the office.”
The Alumni office connects graduated students and the university, for them to continue to feel that they are part of MKU. This was for the alumni to also give back to the University and at same time, benefit from it.
Patrice says: “We held a party and even Chairman (Prof Gicharu) was around to support us. It was a very nice day when all Alumni met after a long time when they were at the campus. They met with the management sharing stories on how lessons learned are helping them in their career out there…and the exchange contacts do that who need supports in any institution or company will find and alumni and life will be easy through our connections.“
He adds: “From there I helped the University open new Masters classes through Alumni, such as Master’s in IT, Master of Media Management. The campus had stopped offering the Master of International Relations programmes. It had also stopped offering a Master of Development Studies.
Membership in the Mount Kenya University Alumni Association is a great way for alumni to show their pride in MKU.
Says Patrice: “First, you have a place to call home in Kigali. Your membership is also a vote for the value of MKU education, and enables the Alumni Association to do great things for members, students, and alma mater. Membership offers many other great benefits.”
Additionally, MKU Alumni Association members can re-connect with former friends, find old classmates and network with the rest of the MKU alumni community through access to relevant WhatsApp groups, Facebook, Twitter etc.
The alumni association sponsors activities as varied as MKU’s alumni. Cultural events and reunions are fruitful opportunities to connect with each other and to share experiences.