Alumni Network

IAMO's Alumni Programme will use two different instruments to strengthen the bond between former researchers and guests of the Institute as well as their networking among each other. The reform process to date has only substantially changed the field of research and teaching in a few countries in Central and Eastern Europe as well as Central Asia and China. In the majority of countries, the teaching load is relatively high compared to Western European conditions and the international visibility of research is very limited. Moreover, with a few exceptions, researchers in agricultural and development economics from the transition countries are not active in international networks such as the Association of European or International Agricultural Economists (EAAE or IAAE) and have little presence at international conferences outside the region.

By means of a further expansion of an IAMO alumni database and its high-profile presentation, the visibility of alumni will be increased and their individual networking among each other facilitated. In addition to working in academia, many IAMO alumni are active in international organisations in development cooperation or business. Better visibility of individual career paths facilitates networking and the exchange of experiences between alumni. At the same time, alumni experiences provide valuable sources for the career development of young IAMO researchers.

Two events, an alumni summer school in June 2022 and a multiplier workshop in 2023, will promote encounters and exchanges between alumni. The summer school supports the methodological and professional development of the alumni and provides conditions for establishing new and strengthening existing contacts between IAMO alumni and institutions in business, science and development cooperation. The training and multiplier workshop will focus on the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Research Framework Programme Horizon Europe. The participating alumni can carry this information as multipliers to their home institutions. The aim is thus to bring both the individual alumni and their institutions closer to the ERA and to qualify them for applying for and implementing joint European research projects.

The project is supported by the DAAD with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• Federal Foreign Office
• Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)