Alumni Activities in Master's study course Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (old course name: Textile and Clothing Technology)

The work with the alumni as global ambassadors of the region has been promoted by the ITM for years, and has proven to be an all-out success. Therefore, we are using it more frequently to advertise our study program, but also for a steady co-operation with the regional ambassadors who graduated from our study courses. The TU Dresden also holds an annual meeting for the regional ambassadors. At the moment, 25 alumni of our study program, including 13 DAAD scholarship holders, are active as regional ambassadors in their home countries or regions, promoting our study course and answering questions from interested prospective students. Our ambassadors work in countries relevant to the textile industry, such as Egypt, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Apart from the regional ambassadors, other graduates are registered in the alumni database of TU Dresden, thus being regular recipients of the TUD newsletter and other information.

In general, many of the alumni are interested in continued contact with the ITM, which explains the positive reactions to the graduate surveys performed by the DAAD or the ITM. Alumni often use invitations to visit the ITM with delegations accompanying them. Added to that, a number of foreign alumni return to the ITM to broaden their qualifications with a doctorate degree. In some cases, these doctorate degrees are linked right to the end of their studies, either at our own institute or at other European universities.

The inclusion of alumni in the student recruitment efforts has been expanded over the past years, with alumni being sent regular updates regarding the institute, and informational material concerning the study course, enabling them to advertise the program locally. Alumni in Bangladesh and Thailand have covered the study course in textile magazine, telling readers about their successful studies in Dresden. The foreign graduates are now working as department heads, assistant managers, laboratory heads, product managers, ministry employees, executive directors, assistant professors or in self-employed positions. In weekend seminars, an applicant training is to be offered to specifically develop skills in this area.

Over the next few years, a more targeted alumni work will be put at the focus, in order to make study promotion even more successful, and to foster the exchange of expertise among the alumni. The closer co-operation with the DAAD-supported study courses at the TUD will be extended, both during studies and at the alumni level.

The implementation of regular workshops and study course alumni meetings on subject-specific topics are particularly important.

Additional information:

http://www.agep-info.de/

https://tu-dresden.de/studium/nach-dem-studium