If you are interested, register and tell us what kind of volunteer work you would like to perform in 2018 for the benefit of current and former students and the achievement of the University’s strategic objectives.
If you wish to participate in academic volunteer work in 2018, please register at https://www.helsinki.fi/en/alumni-association/volunteering
Members of the Alumni Association completed more than 800 hours of volunteer work in 2017. Would you like to contribute?
Become a coach, host an event, mentor a student, run a local club or join a proofreading group. The special expertise of alumni is needed to support the University and its alumni activities.
All volunteer work is based on a commission with clear instructions and requirements. The commissions are for one year at a time and include a wide range of duties for pairs, teams or individuals. All volunteers receive an employment certificate after they have completed the work. The Alumni Association’s office coordinates the volunteer work and supports all volunteers in their tasks. Please note that all tasks, even those that can be done by one person, will usually be done together in a group.
Rector of the University of Helsinki Jukka Kola: The volunteer work our alumni do with students is truly valuable and has a long-term impact on the future of the young students.
We have agreed with active faculties, administrative sectors and the University’s leadership about the activities that the academic volunteer work of the Alumni Association will revolve around in the future. The Alumni Association will focus on students by supporting their employment and the development of their career skills. Hundreds of alumni will share their special expertise in projects. Key partners will include the University’s Career Services, the Student Union and the alumni and career coordinators of subject-specific student organisations. Mentoring will increase, and various events – such as the alumni checkpoint of the Freshman Adventure, the Career Festival and after-work events – will bring people together. We will also organise a job-shadowing programme, participate in the Career Safari, and once again offer the Huipulla ja yhteiskunnassa (Excellence for society) course to doctoral students. We will also share information on vacancies, for example, through the Alumni Association’s LinkedIn group. Would you have the time to participate?
Dozens of new members join the Alumni Association each week. Current members are the best at describing the Association’s activities and member benefits. Our participation in fairs and other events is often based on a team effort and involves fun and useful activities. Contact us if you are interested in participating, and we will invite you to the next event to strengthen your existing networks and establish new ones. We will always present each campaign in detail and help you verbalise the message.
Click here to read a few alumni explain why they are active members.
Remember that your electronic membership card includes an easy-to-use recruitment function (Kutsu ystäväsi jäseneksi, or “Invite your friend to become a member”), which you can use to invite a friend who is willing to join the Association if you know their phone number. Easy and efficient!
Local clubs are an efficient way to create international networks and a diverse alumni community. The goal of the Alumni Association is to have five local clubs by 2018. Their locations will depend on the active efforts of the alumni volunteers as well as the strategic objectives of the University of Helsinki.
We are seeking active volunteers to plan activities and arrange events. The local clubs arrange two or three events each year. The University and the Association support the clubs’ operations. The Berlin Club is looking for a coordinator! Sign up as a volunteer or contact us if you know someone suitable for the position.
The Association is continuously developing its communications, particularly with the help of members who work or have worked in the communications sector. We are looking particularly for social media experts, LinkedIn gurus and those interested in video communications. Would you like to develop the Association’s communications?
We need proofreaders for our member newsletter and messages as well as active people to administer our Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. The communications group of the Alumni Association’s Board is also hoping for members interested in communications to join its workshops.
We need hosts, registration desk attendants, moderators, speakers, organisers and volunteers who can direct people to their seats at events. The programme group of the Association’s Board is also hoping for reinforcements for planning events.
The Alumni Association’s office offers several tasks for volunteers: address information must be updated, envelopes filled and mailed, products distributed, texts proofread and certificates printed. If you are a hands-on type of person or are part of an enthusiastic group of volunteers who can work at the office for an hour or two on Thursday afternoons or evenings, welcome aboard!
The Alumni Association’s key partners include the University’s Career Services, the Student Union and the alumni and career coordinators of subject-specific student organisations. Together we decide what we want to do, and when and how. Our cooperation has resulted in fantastic projects, such as the Huipulla ja yhteiskunnassa course, the Rakentava kumppanuus project, double membership in the Alumni Association and the association for spouses of university professors , the Promootion ystävät group, the HYMY group, and much more.
The alumni office coordinates the Association’s volunteer activities and supports all volunteers. For more information, contact the office on weekdays 9.00−15.00, phone 029 412 4917, email alumniyhdistys@helsinki.fi.