TU Graz promotes its cross-border alumni activities as part of its internationalisation strategy. Following the foundation of chapters in Shanghai and Zurich, “alumni eXtended” is now expanding its presence with a chapter in neighbouring Germany. In Bavaria, the Styrian hive of technology maintains traditionally close ties with science and industry, and many TU Graz alumni have found a professional and private home in southern Germany. Harald Kainz, Rector of TU Graz comments on the importance of international alumni activities: “TU Graz attaches great importance to relationships and cooperation and to a close contact with our graduates all over the world. Expanding our alumni activities supports us in bringing the international TU Graz network more closely together and in implementing our internationalisation strategy even more successfully.”
Location Styria globally networked
The new TU Graz “Alumni Chapter Bavaria” aims to promote professional networking and regular social exchange among graduates of TU Graz and sees itself as a meeting place for representatives of various disciplines and interested parties from science, business and politics to generate joint initiatives and new ideas. Werner Adelberger and Georg Premm, both BMW Group, head the alumni chapter Bavaria. In honour of the automotive location Bavaria, the chapter dedicates its first annual programme to "Mobility & Production", one of five strategic research foci of TU Graz. Rector Harald Kainz is enthusiastic: “In this way we are not only closely interlinking TU Graz and location Styria with Bavarian industry, but are also positioning TU Graz in the international context with its academic fields of expertise and strategic focuses.” The “alumni eXtended” network of TU Graz is supported and funded by the Styrian Economic Chamber, which works to secure advantages for Styrian commerce through close ties with partners from industry.
Top-class guests
The celebratory opening of the TU Graz alumni chapter Bavaria took place in the presence of around 200 top-class guests from research, industry, politics and society at the invitation of Chancellor Albert Berger at the TU Munich, one of six strategic partner universities of TU Graz. Among these were TU Graz alumni, representatives of Austrian liaison offices in Bavaria, members of German universities – especially TU Munich – and representatives of the Bavarian automotive industry. Apart from speeches by Rector Kainz and other representatives of the TU Graz alumni network, there was an introductory talk by the head of the chapter, Werner Adelberger on “Mobility – engine of change”. A taste of Styrian culture was also communicated in the form of traditional Styrian music and a Styrian buffet.
Information
The TU Graz “Alumni Chapter Bavaria” is the third international alumni chapter of TU Graz. A chapter in Shanghai was founded in October 2014 together with the University of Graz, and the alumni chapter Zurich was founded in November 2016. The international alumni activities of the TU Graz take place under the umbrella of “alumni eXtended”.
Contact
Wolfgang WALLNER
Mag. Dipl.-Ing.
TU Graz Rectorate Staff Unit for Alumni Relations
Petersgasse 10, 8010 Graz
phone: +43 316 873 6044
Email: wallner@tugraz.at
www.alumni.tugraz.at/international