Every June, a group of students graduate from Swedish universities. Some of them stay in Sweden, some go back home and others move to a third country. Regardless of the situation, it can be a difficult time, adjusting to a new phase in their lives and having just experienced something life changing. To give these new alumni a warm welcome to your local network is very important. The new alumni will feel a sense of belonging by joining a group of people who had the same experience as them and you will get new members to your network.
About
The Welcome Back Event is a toolkit you can use to host an event where alumni connect and where your network is truly growing. This event can be combined with the toolkit “Send-off Event” if you want. In that case, please send in only one application but name it “Welcome back/send off event”.
The Swedish Institute can give you the number of new alumni before you send in the application.
Related Toolkits:
Study in Sweden Promotion Activity
Send-Off Activity
Instructions and manuals
Step by Step Manual (further down on this page)
Building blocks
Step by step manual
- Decide on a date. The date should preferably not be very far from the graduation day (beginning of June), but not too close either as many probably choose to stay in Sweden for a few weeks after graduation. Although, please note that the Swedish Institute often is closed for a few weeks in July and no grant transactions can be made during that time, so send in the application on time. We suggest that this event is a casual meet and greet, maybe on a weekday after work, for a few hours.
- Check with SI Alumni Team how many new alumni are coming home to your country. (Note that SI only has contacts to former scholarship holders, if you want to invite all new Sweden alumni, we have to estimate together on how many will show up).
- Reach out to the Swedish embassy in your country and let them know about your event.
- Find a good venue that is suitable for the number of new alumni. Maybe the Swedish embassy can host you?
- Check with the embassy to see if they have any materials (leaflets with information about
Sweden, flyers, decorations) that you can use at you event. If not, reach out to alumni@si.se
and ask if some can be sent (this has to be done at least five weeks in advance) - Create a page for your event so that people can register. We suggest you use
confetti.events or a similar service but it can be a facebook event or google forms or any other service that you find suitable. - Post your event in the Sweden Alumni Activity Calendar.
- Send invitations to your members.
- Consider organizing some sort of fika or snacks to have available to make the event more social.
- Decide on content to your event and draft a program. A list of suggested components for an agenda is to be downloaded in the toolkit. You don’t have to follow this in detail; it is to be seen as inspiration.
- Have your event!
- Send in the report to SI, not more than two weeks after the event.
How to apply
Submit an application form to apply for this event.
How to report
Here you find the reporting instructions.
Contact
For more information, contact alumni@si.se.