GRÓ Alumni Strategy discussed at the GRÓ 2023 Workshop
A GRÓ alumni strategy was the theme of the GRÓ centre‘s workshop in 2023. The aim is to create opportunities for alumni from all training programmes to work together, across the four thematic areas of GRÓ, in order to disseminate their knowledge and contribute to the advancement of the UN sustainable development goals.
Almost 1,700 fellows have graduated from the four GRÓ training programmes during the 100 years combined history of the four programmes. All programmes have active alumni networks and a joint GRÓ alumni network would be an addition to those already established networks. Hosting the four programmes under GRÓ opens the possibility of creating such a network and provides opportunities for fellows to work with UNESCO, which GRÓ operates under the auspices of.
The 2023 workshop took place on the 25th of October and was held at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Participants included members of the GRÓ Governing board, staff of the GRÓ centre and the four training programmes, as well as staff from the Ministry for Foreign affairs working on development issues and posted to Icelandic embassies in GRÓ‘s partner countries.
Nína Björk Jónsdóttir, Director General of GRÓ, and Jón Karl Ólafsson, Chairman of the GRÓ Governing board, welcomed participants to the workshop. The four training programmes then presented how they support their alumni today. Presentations were given by Julie Ingham, Director of the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme, Málfríður Ómarsdóttir, Project Manager at GRÓ Geothermal Training Programme, dr. Sjöfn Vilhelmsdóttir, Director of the GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme and Védís Ólafsdóttir, Project Manager at the GRÓ Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme. A special guest attended the workshop this year. Ulla Næsby Tawiah, Director of the Danida Fellowship Centre in Copenhagen, gave a presentation about the DFC and how the centre supports its alumni around the world. The workshop ended with breakout groups discussing in detail different aspects of a GRÓ alumni strategy.
As one of the outputs in GRÓ‘s strategic priorities for 2022-2027 is to support the formation of alumni networks, this workshop was an important element in ongoing efforts to develop a GRÓ alumni strategy.