Building Bridges:

Lured by the big-city buzz of Australia's most bustling metropolis, over 1,500 University of Adelaide alumni now call themselves Sydneysiders.

With the help of some key partners, the Sydney Alumni Chapter is helping to bridge the gap between the two cities.

"We wanted to provide a support network for alumni to access, for social and work reasons, when they make the move to Sydney," says Baldeep Kaur, co-convenor of the Chapter. Baldeep, together with co-convenor Anthony Roediger, the University of Adelaide and a handful of enthusiastic alumni, partnered with some big names in business and the public sector to successfully launch the Sydney Alumni Chapter late last year.

The launch itself was long in the making, taking over four months of hard work and organisation.
Baldeep and Anthony say that their labour was offset, in part, by the support of their sponsors. "We had great support on the night," says Anthony. "It allowed us to put on a wonderful event at an affordable cost and to showcase South Australian products."

The event's theme of `South Australian Food and Wine' encouraged a band of SA businesses to get on board, including Yalumba, Shaw and Smith, Jim Barry, Bremerton, Coriole, d'Arenberg, Coopers, Villi's and Haigh's Chocolates. The result was a great start to the Chapter, which Anthony says "had a good turnout in competition with Australia qualifying for the soccer World Cup!"

In 2006, the Chapter aims to facilitate professional contacts and networking between alumni, employers and professional bodies in Sydney, and to keep alumni connected with South Australian events and opportunities. Like many alumni networks, the need for facilities and financial support makes partnerships with organisations outside of the University vital.

In the Sydney Chapter's case, support from the South Australian Department of Trade and Economic Development (DTED) has helped to bridge the gap between the Chapter's aims and practical concerns. "Financial support from partners - particularly DTED - provides the opportunity to achieve shared goals, such as boosting the South Australian workforce," says Baldeep. "Their support will help to fund our future events."

A program of alumni activities is currently being planned for the year ahead. 2006 events will include dinners and drinks to socialise and network, and smaller events focused on topics of interest or industry groups. The Chapter would like to expand their program to include fundraising events that work towards a charity or cause in the future.

With the support of partners such as DTED, local Chapters can continue to connect and support alumni--wherever in the world life may take them after Adelaide.

Story Lana Guineay

For more information about the Chapter, or to be involved in upcoming events, please email sydney_alumni@adelaide.edu.au, or visit their website at www.adelaide.edu.au/alumni/chapters/sydney_chap.html