Thematic area “interaction with alumni” in university media

INTRODUCTION. The study is dedicated to aspects of covering the thematic area of “alumni engagement” in university media. Russian universities have established traditions of interacting with alumni through communities (alumni associations, clubs) and financial instruments (endowment funds). Attention to the topic of interaction with graduates in university media is explained by the fact that their success is considered a marker of the quality of specialist training at the university. For the university, the continuity of alumni generations and the preservation of traditions are important. Alumni stories in university media allow for shaping the desired image of the future for prospective and current students. Highlighting graduates’ career paths and achievements contributes to raising the prestige of specific professional fields.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. The empirical basis consisted of materials from university media and content in new media about working with graduates (official websites, corporate publications, official social media channels, thematic media projects) from 2023–2025.
RESEARCH RESULTS. The theoretical basis of the study was formed by works dedicated to aspects of interaction with alumni, the specifics of the functioning of alumni communities, and endowment funds. Content analysis for the period from 2023 to 2025 indicates an increase in the frequency of materials on the thematic area of “alumni engagement”. The thematic area of “interaction with alumni” has developed in special sections and special projects of corporate media and on universities' social media, in the popular podcast and video blog formats.
CONCLUSION. The thematic area of “interaction with alumni” is one of the key directions of the image policy of modern universities, which is reflected in university media.