This year, on December 19, 2020, Alumnity invited its members to its first virtual Advent celebration. The plan was to have a cozy get-together to strengthen our sense of community during these times. We also sent a small Advent gift to the first 50 members who registered. This allowed us to enjoy a mug of mulled wine and delicious gingerbread together via Zoom while looking back on the highlights of the association’s 2020 year. Members shared how they’d gotten through the past few months and which experiences had particularly moved them. This depth of conversation really made the event special and once again highlighted the association’s networking spirit. We also discussed wishes and ideas for the new year, 2021. A reflective evening with a wonderful pre-Christmas atmosphere!

As part of the “Alumnity Meets” event series, the association hosted a lecture for members and guests on November 24, 2020, on the topic of“Self-Management in Challenging Times.” In a one-hour presentation, Chairwoman Claudia Huberti explored psychological aspects and outlined strategies for “managing” oneself during difficult times. Michael Raab moderated the subsequent discussion among the 19 virtual attendees. The constructive atmosphere, in which participants contributed very openly and personally, was particularly impressive. Everyone agreed that they would like to see this series continue in this spirit.

Even in these times, we’ve spared no effort to ensure that we could still host our annual lecture evening, “Alumnity Presents,” despite the current situation. Our first digital event, held on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, was themed: “Networking in the Age of COVID-19? Making the Most of Opportunities!” Our deputy secretary, Ann-Kathrin Grohs, delivered the interactive keynote presentation. Through her work as a Digital Change Maker at the “Hochschulforum Digitalisierung,” she was able to provide valuable insights into the world of online networking. Due to the digital transformation of recent months, innovative digital networking events have been developed across all industries and academic fields throughout Germany. Ms. Grohs explained the resulting opportunities using the case study of a “hackathon” and digital festivals. She also introduced several particularly user-friendly tools that enable collaborative work on an entirely new level. Some of these are even already being used in lectures in the Department of Economics. The participants showed keen interest in the new possibilities and opportunities that digital progress brings! To round things off, a brief survey revealed that, fortunately, digital events would continue to be well-received in the future. Many thanks to everyone who attended for an exciting evening! We look forward to the next digital event!

On Sunday, February 2, 2020, we once again held our annual New Year’s gathering. This time, 31 members and guests gathered for breakfast together at Café 7 Grad. Some of our new student members also joined us, much to everyone’s delight, and were able to make great connections with our alumni. Over an aperitif provided by the association and a delicious buffet, a lively exchange took place among those present. Refreshed, we then headed to the cultural event that followed. The neighboring Kunsthalle delighted us with the exhibition “Conversing with Leaves” by Uriel Orlow. In his installations, he addressed the theme of neo-extractivism, shedding light on the extraction of raw materials and the resulting destruction of indigenous cultures and biodiversity. Through Orlow’s versatile use of media, a new story was told in each room in a very vivid and moving way. From the story of Nelson Mandela to indigenous herbal medicine, visitors could marvel at plants as key players in history. Our museum guide further deepened our understanding of Orlow’s works through her lively and enthusiastic explanations of the background stories. Some of our members lingered in the exhibition even after the tour to let the works sink in once more at their own pace. What a wonderful start to our 2020 club year!