Alumniportal Deutschland is a non-profitonline social network of "Germany Alumni" – designed for anyone from around the world who has studied, researched, worked or completed a training or a language course in Germany or at a German institution abroad. It offers its users the opportunity to get in touch with Germany-Alumni from around the world as well as companies in order to discuss special interest topics, develop their skills and benefit from the expertise of others. The portal is a networking platform for both the professional and private field. It is open to any and all international Germany Alumni, regardless of whether or not they received a scholarship from one of the many German scholarship organizations, participated in an organized study abroad program, or enrolled directly in an institution. The registration and use of Alumniportal Deutschland is free of charge and can be done as individual or as business/organization. The project is administered by a core group of four major German organizations, supported by strategic partners and financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany and supported by the Federal Foreign Office. The Alumniportal Deutschland is available in both English and German. The communication language within the community is arbitrary.
Goals and contents
Alumniportal Deutschland offers Germany Alumni the opportunity to build and deepen their contacts to other Germany Alumni as well as to German and Germany-related institutions, organizations and businesses. In addition to community features, the website offers an international job & career market, career fairs, webinars on current topics, e-learning courses, contests and hands-on projects, information on training programmes and events around the world, an editorial part with articles on culture, society, education science & research and sustainability as well as online German language training tools. Alumniportal gives participating organizations access to a global network of contacts with a direct connection to Germany as an addition to their own alumni activities and recruiting efforts. The website enables businesses to connect to employees, experts, or potential partners.
Background / history
German alumni relation departments and professional development organizations in Germany have historically been limited to each group reaching out to their specific alumni. However, approximately 80% of people from abroad who study or undertake professional training in Germany – a total of roughly 14,000 people per year – are “free movers”, organizing and financing their own program. Trying to get in touch with these free movers was a complicated and often fruitless effort. Alumniportal Deutschland is an online social network created entirely for Germany Alumni, regardless of organizational affiliation. Bringing this group of individuals together is aimed at creating tangible benefits for the Germany Alumni, for the various scholarship organizations, and for companies and institutions looking for highly qualified individuals with experience in Germany. Since its inception in 2008, more than 155,000 users, from 184 countries have registered with the Alumniportal.
Structure of the website
The Alumniportal Deutschland is divided into various sections: the Online Community, Topics & Projects, Webinars & Events and a section on Jobs & Careers, Groups, Members & Network. The Online Community is the social networking component of the website. Registered members have the opportunity to network and communicate with fellow alumni and participating organizations using the standard array of social networking tools such as groups, blogs, profiles, etc. The Topics & Projects section is where users can find news from Germany and on German topics, as well as learn or brush up on their German language skills. There are articles on continuous education, science and research, culture, among other topics. There is also the opportunity to take part in a campaign called 'Verstehen Sie Deutsch?', where users are encouraged to guess the meanings of peculiar German idioms to help improve their understanding of the German language. 'Verstehen Sie Deutsch' is also available as an app at the App Store and Google Play. Furthermore, the section Topics & Projects contains information on places to study in Germany and where to find scholarships. Since 2017 the Alumniportal has turned its attention to the 2030 Agenda with its 17 global goals for sustainable development. In the section The Global Goals – powered by Alumni the Alumniportal aims to enable cooperation, to inform and to inspire. Examples of projects, tips, join-in activities and events show that everyone is needed and can contribute. The Webinars & Events section lists Germany-related events, from career fairs to cultural events to academic lectures on German topics. Alumniportal Deutschland also regularly hosts webinars with experts on a variety of themes. The Jobs & Careers section provides a job board with German-speaking jobs listed by country with an advanced search function. Users can also build an 'Expert Profile', allowing companies to search for specific skills and find new employees with an established connection to Germany. After registering, they can post job advertisements, search resumes, or post upcoming events.
Partner organizations
The four primary non-profit and non-governmental organizations responsible for creating, maintaining and promoting Alumniportal Deutschland are:
