The rising visibility and robust programming of the alumni chapters of leading international universities tell us that classroom conversations don't go out of style
Members of The University of Chicago's Mumbai alumni association at an exhibition of photographer William Gedney's works at the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in June this year
Earlier this month, India's Ivy Leaguers met in Mumbai for a weekend of partnerships. First, at the Bombay Stock Exchange, a Co-founders Meet-up had entrepreneurs seeking out potential partners for their business ventures and start-ups. In a similar fashion, but on the other end of the spectrum, a singles speed-dating event was held at Carter Road's Masala Bar. Whether they are looking for love or business, here is a chance for Ivy League graduates in India to find like-minded people.
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Swati Sahni is the founder of Ivy Plus Network, which organised both these events. The network, which started out as an association for alumni of the eight institutions that comprise Ivy League, today boasts of 10,000 members across Dubai and eight cities in India. Sahni, a Harvard alumnus, came back to India in 2014, only to be met with a vacuum. "It was hard to meet like-minded people and I missed my life at Harvard," she says. Her own quest for an alumni association led her to set up Ivy Plus Network, which now includes members from 32 more top global institutions.
While membership fees is not required, you do need the tag of one of the 40 international universities that are part of this network. There are no Indian institutions yet on the list, but Sahni hopes to add the IITs and IIMs soon enough. Ivy Plus Network programmes a range of events for its members, which include wine tastings, holiday mixers, and coffee-brewing workshops, alongside more "serious" endeavours like a job portal and fundraisers.
The annual college reunion – the stuff that Hollywood cashes in – are not enough anymore, at least as far as some of the leading international and universities are concerned. The conventional purposes of the alumni association, such as nostalgia, contact building, admissions and networking, have given way to a more fulfilling involvement with the alma mater even after graduation and moving back into India.
Members of Harvard's Mumbai alumni chapter at a heritage walk organised by alumnus Rachel Steinberg in Kala Ghoda
Being part of the conversation
Neha Alluri, a 24-year-old graduate in Economics and International Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, is set to launch the Mumbai chapter of the university's alumni association on August 5. Like Sahni, when Alluri, 24, returned to India, she realised that she missed her college connections. "College is one of the most pivotal years of one's life and the connections you make then are vital. At Wisconsin-Madison, I enjoyed interacting with people across different age-groups and nationalities," she says. Wisconsin-Madison, one of the USA's Public Ivy institutions, has an existing New Delhi chapter. "This chapter is very popular and we have alumni from the South who fly to New Delhi for events. There was a time 7 years ago, before social media, when letters were sent out to everyone inviting them," says Alluri.
Much like her, Jharana Sheth, a postgraduate in Economics for Development from Oxford, founded the Mumbai chapter of the university's alumni association early this year. On her return from the UK, she found that while social media existed to satisfy her networking needs, the deeper conversations that she once had on campus were just not available anymore. "Since Oxford sees a mixed student demographic, you are exposed to a rich cultural diversity. Take the Battle of Dunkirk, for example. It could very well be that someone in class has a grandfather or a relative who was part of it," she says.
For those who graduate from an Indian university and live on in India, it is not hard to come by others from their colleges. Conversations can turn into reminiscences and updates. But, what do you do when there are just 200 odd graduates from your overseas college here in India?
Akshay Sethi, who heads The University of Chicago Booth School of Business' alumni chapter in India, worked in New York before returning to Noida. The number of Booth School graduates in New York is arguably more than thrice the number all over India. "The energy in New York's alumni association was different. There was a major turnout for all events just because of the sheer numbers. Here, you have to keep the topics of your programmes broader or you'll be cutting it really close," he says.
Vibha Kagzi
Value for alumni
Vibha Kagzi, a graduate from Harvard Business School, says that studying in these institutions was a power-shot of an intellectually charged environment. "You return to India and you grow professional networks but you also want the familiarity and the commonality of your college life. You are physically disconnected with Harvard but you want to keep its spirit alive," she says.
Kagzi is the President of the Harvard alumni chapter in Mumbai, initiated a few years ago. The club had been dormant for a while and was reactivated by Kagzi five years ago. It's a volunteer driven organisation and not funded by the parent university. With her time and sponsorships, Kagzi manages to programme two events every month for Harvard alumni in Mumbai. Last month, they organised a walkthrough and panel discussion at Pundole's, alongside the gallery and auction house's exhibition of Rooshad Shroff's new furniture line. "While the casual interaction event at a bar is also good, we want to cater to our alumni's diverse interests as well. However, since most Harvard alumni have a busy social calendar, it is important that these events are outstanding enough to attract them," says Kagzi.
Akshay Sethi
The University of Chicago, which has an alumni chapter in Mumbai, engages with the city's museums. for its events. Aditi Mody, who heads the association pan-India, says, "The University of Chicago is surrounded by fabulous museums and it is very common for students there to spend their time in these spaces. Museums in the city make for better venues than hotels."
Most alumni chapters agree that their visibility has got to do with the actual movement of graduates and business entrepreneurs back to India. "Entrepreneurship has blossomed on home turf, which invites more networking needs," says Sethi. Alluri indicates that social media, and connectivity, has spurred on these chapters. It has also led to a greater engagement between younger alumni and older ones.
Rajendra Aneja would agree. He finished his Advanced Management Programme from Harvard in 2008 and sorely misses the professionals that he encountered there. They have managed to keep in touch, both through the Mumbai Harvard alumni chapter as well as through a WhatsApp group. "We would go to sleep as late as midnight and wake up at 5 am. Such a routine makes you develop a close bond with your classmates and some of that continues," he says. That he is now 66 and the MD of a management consulting firm goes to show that sometimes we are never too old for college.
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