Kent State alumni in Shanghai, China, got together on October 11, 2015, at their club’s kick-off event at Movie Coffee, a small movie-themed coffee shop near the Shanghai Film Art Center.
When he met up with the group of Kent State alumni in Kuwait City, Ahmad Alawadhi, MBA ’07, had no idea that Kent State grads lived so close to him. “I enjoyed my time at Kent State, and it was great meeting with other alumni,” Alawadhi says. “I’m looking forward to more alumni events in Kuwait and to help new students.”
The Kent State University Alumni Association, in partnership with the Office of Global Education, made the event possible through the 2015 launch of International Alumni and Friends Clubs. In the program’s first year, five international alumni clubs hosted kick-off events in Amman, Jordan; Shanghai, China; Beijing, China; Kuwait City, Kuwait and Doha, Qatar. Alumni socials also were hosted in Manama, Bahrain and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In addition, 10 alumni ambassadors from Russia to El Salvador represent Kent State in their respective countries.
More than 226,000 Kent State alumni from 104 countries are part of today’s global society. “No matter where you are in the world, Golden Flashes are near you,” says Carrie Circosta, associate director of international alumni relations. “International student enrollment has grown over the past 10 years and many of our domestic graduates travel the world. With this initiative, we are excited to better serve and connect these alumni.”
Club benefits include personal and professional networking, promoting Kent State University pride through activities and events, as well as mentoring new and current students. International alumni who serve as alumni ambassadors become key contacts for alumni who relocate to their areas and for visiting faculty, staff and students.
To join or help start a club, contact Carrie Circosta, ccircost@kent.edu.