Strong alumni relationships do not end at graduation. They can open doors to mentorship, partnerships, new opportunities, and support for the institutions that shaped them. It was this broader view of alumni engagement that brought university leaders and advancement professionals from across East Africa together for the inaugural GEA East Africa Alumni & Advancement Lab 2026, held from 8th to 10th September in Naivasha.
Kabarak University was represented at the three-day forum by Dr. Arthur K. Ngetich, A.g. Director, Directorate of Linkages, Partnerships and Alumni, who joined participants in exploring practical ways universities can build stronger alumni networks, develop strategic partnerships and mobilise resources.
The Lab was built around three themes: Engage, Mobilise and Institutionalise, taking participants through different stages of developing effective alumni and advancement programmes.
The first day, Engage, examined the changing role of alumni relations in higher education. Discussions focused on building meaningful alumni communities, strengthening connections with graduates and developing engagement models that go beyond occasional events and routine communication.
For universities, the conversations pointed to the need for alumni relations to be an ongoing process, creating meaningful ways for graduates to remain connected and contribute to the institutions they once called home.
The second day, Mobilise, shifted the focus to what strong alumni relationships can make possible. Through practical lab sessions, peer exchanges and discussions, participants explored how alumni networks, partnerships and strategic linkages can support sustainable resource mobilisation.
One key lesson was that successful mobilisation is built over time through trust and shared value. Rather than relying on one-off transactions, universities were encouraged to develop broader and more sustainable approaches to working with their alumni and partners.
The final day, Institutionalise, looked at how alumni engagement and advancement can become part of a university's wider institutional systems.
Participants considered areas such as governance, stakeholder engagement, evidence, monitoring and evaluation, performance measurement and informed decision-making.
For Kabarak University, the Lab offered an opportunity to learn from approaches being applied across the region and to benchmark its own work in alumni engagement, advancement and partnership development. The insights gained will support ongoing efforts to strengthen alumni relations, build strategic partnerships, and improve resource mobilisation.
The three-day experience provided practical perspectives on how universities can build alumni relationships that remain valuable long after graduation. For Kabarak University, it adds to the ongoing work of developing stronger connections with its alumni and partners as part of the University's wider growth and advancement agenda.
