On Wednesday, April 5, Erasmus School of Economics celebrated its annual Alumni Day. This year's theme "Be the Difference" was supported by three pillars: ambition, leadership, and determination.
Collaboration
Every year, Office of Alumni Affairs works with the Inspiration Days committee and the EFR board to make this day a success. In this manner, student and alumni affairs are brought back together. The Inspiration Days provide an opportunity for alumni to share their experiences with current students and inspire them to pursue their goals.
Opening session
The day started off with a short introductory speech by Amankwaah, a current Erasmus School of Economics student and chair of the Inspiration Days committee, about the significance of being the driving force of impact in your environment and generation. Amankwaah then gave the stage to Christos Christou (international director of Doctors Without Borders), who officially started the day with an inspiring but cautionary speech about the power of humanitarian aid and the importance of ethical considerations in helping those in need. Christou emphasised the need for empathy and understanding in our approach to global health issues. Christou's key message was to stand by others and collectively try to change the world.
Workshops
Mirjam de Blécourt, a partner at Baker McKenzie and a member of the Dutch Senate (Eerste Kamer), gave a leadership workshop. She is widely regarded as one of the best employment lawyers in Europe.
Blécourt advised, "Be the captain of your life and dare to act because what is the worst thing that could go wrong?"
Patrick Haede, co-founder and CEO of Sonic, a product, technology, and strategy studio, and former Head of Product at Gorillas, led a workshop on the theme of ambition. Patrick shared four pointers to help achieve your goals. The first is to get started early in projects; at first, no one knows what is going on, but there is plenty of room for feedback and significant improvements. The second tip is to design your life to create a clear picture of your goals e.g. in photoshop. The third is to think like an athlete, picturing your brain as a muscle that needs to rest, and; the fourth is to compare life to surfing, because there are always good and bad waves in life.
Closing Penal
Moreover, the plenary closing hosted by our beloved alumnus Terry Afram included Jeroen van der Veer (chairman of the supervisory board of Royal Boskalis Westminster and former CEO of Shell), Stephanie Hottenhuis (CEO of KPMG Netherlands), Won Yip (entrepreneur, investor, and former panel member of the Dutch Dragon’s Den), and Mirjam de Blécourt. Due to the participants' varied backgrounds, the conversation covered a wide range of noteworthy subjects that frequently make headlines.
The Alumni Dinner
Finally, after a day of being inspired, the alumni went to the Erasmus Pavilion where they enjoyed a lovely dinner for our 110th anniversary. The dinner was hosted by Charles Hermans (Director Alumni Affairs & Development). The alumni were treated to some nice insights from our dean Patrick Groenen and Jan Geerts from Erasmus Alumni relations.
We appreciate you coming, and we will see you next year!
Alumni Day 2023
