Evolution of Alumni Relations Professionals

This article tries to analyse alumni relations as a profession, and answer the question, “Who am I as an educational advancement professional?” It will start with a brief historical overview and will reflect on the main characteristics and identities of alumni relations professionals. Also, I will address some of the key challenges and opportunities in the alumni relations field and try to explore how these relate to the global status of the profession in higher education today. While my immediate geographic context is the Central and Eastern European region, my involvement as a professional and volunteer in the field has primarily taken place at the international level. Thus this article views the issues of professionalism from a global perspective.