Alumni Host Program

What is the UNSW Alumni Host Program?

A program where UNSW alumni connect with first year International students to make them feel welcome,  nurture a lasting involvement with UNSW and help them make new local friends.

Through the Host Program alumni living within a 60 km radius of the Kensington campus are invited to assist us enhance the student experience and engage with our International students as they settle into their new student life at UNSW.

 

What our Alumni Hosts say

"Good networking opportunity and a fantastic way of doing something for the wider community" 

Pooja Kadam, MB BS '11

"The Alumni Host Program was a great way to reconnect with the UNSW community, and pass on any sage advice from someone who has been through the experience." 

Laura Lau, BE '14

"We had a good time talking about cultural differences between Australia and Middle East (our origin), home sickness, jobs in Australia, and just life in general" 

Mina Gurgis, BE (Hons) '10

 

How does the Host Program work?

UNSW alumni register their interest to ‘buddy up’ with undergraduate and postgraduate international students in their first year of studies to help them settle in Sydney and make local connections.

Suggestions of where to meet could include iconic Sydney landmarks like the Opera House or a museum, lunch at a favourite local restaurant, or a walk on one of Sydney's idyllic beaches – alumni can help students discover the highlights of the city, and provide informal mentoring on career and academic-related interests as well as share how their UNSW experience shaped their career journey.

This year the program runs over 13 weeks from June to September, with hosts required to meet with their students on at least two occasions.

Alumni volunteer to participate in the Host Program at their own cost. UNSW does not currently provide any financial assistance. International students can register their interest in participating in the Alumni Host Program when they receive their Welcome Letter from UNSW on commencement. 

 

How do I get involved?

Expressions of interest to participate in the 2019 Alumni Host Program are now closed. We received an overwhelming number of applications from alumni and unfortunately, at this stage, we are unable to offer any additional places in this year's program. Please feel free to reach out to alumni@unsw.edu.au to express your interest for next year's program, or to discuss additional ways you can engage with UNSW.

We encourage you to register for our other mentoring opportunity Alumni Connect, a global peer-to-peer mentoring platform that connects UNSW graduates.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Alumni and Engagement Office on +61 2 8936 4716 or email alumni@unsw.edu.au