Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), through its Centre of Alumni and Career Services (CACS), undertook a benchmarking visit to Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, on 30 October 2026, to explore approaches to alumni engagement, governance and long-term relationship management.
The visit provided an opportunity for UniKL to learn from NTU’s alumni engagement practices, with particular emphasis on maintaining connections with graduates, strengthening alumni associations and encouraging active participation in university initiatives.
Representing UniKL were Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Faizuddin Md. Noor, Director of CACS, and Dr. Khairunnisa Azmar, Deputy Director, who engaged with T’heng Beng Hooi, Director of NTU’s Office of Alumni Engagement, during the benchmarking session.
One of the key takeaways from the engagement was the importance of looking beyond conventional fundraising indicators when evaluating the strength of an alumni network.
While financial contributions remain one form of alumni support, the discussions highlighted the value of measuring how many graduates actively participate in university programmes, maintain communication and contribute to institutional activities.
This approach places greater emphasis on building sustained relationships, recognising that alumni can contribute to their alma mater in different ways, including professional networking, knowledge sharing and participation in university initiatives.
For UniKL, the exchange offered perspectives on how alumni engagement strategies could evolve to encourage greater participation and reinforce connections between graduates and the university.
The benchmarking session also explored governance and standardisation practices, including the use of consistent templates for alumni association constitutions, alliance structures and branding guidelines.
Such practices could support more coordinated alumni management while helping associations maintain a consistent institutional identity.
Another highlight of the visit was NTU’s Phonathon initiative, an alumni outreach approach involving direct telephone engagement to reconnect with graduates and maintain relationships.
The initiative offered UniKL insights into how personalised communication could complement existing alumni outreach efforts and encourage graduates to remain connected to university activities.
Discussions also covered the potential value of signature alumni engagement programmes and targeted alumni benefits in strengthening participation and fostering a greater sense of belonging.
These approaches provided CACS with practical ideas to consider as it continues exploring ways to strengthen alumni communication and engagement across UniKL’s graduate community.
Beyond communication strategies, the session reinforced the importance of developing an alumni engagement framework that recognises different forms of contribution rather than relying predominantly on fundraising outcomes.
The benchmarking experience reflects UniKL’s commitment to continuous institutional improvement through knowledge exchange and engagement with international higher education institutions.
The initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through international institutional knowledge exchange, and SDG 4: Quality Education, through efforts to strengthen lifelong connections between graduates and higher education.
