Networking & volunteering

Our alums are important to us

A word-of-mouth recommendation from a member of the community lands you a job, a meeting with an experienced professional inspires you with new ideas, a chance encounter becomes a lifelong relationship—this is what networking at Fulbright Austria events is all about.

The impact of these opportunities lasts a lifetime. We are committed to continuing those moments you had abroad by creating a unique set of opportunities for our alum community to pursue. Some of these events and activities are organized by us, while others are supported by us, and there are also other ways to volunteer your time and engage. You get to choose.

Our goal is to empower alums to lead in ways that are valuable to the individual and to the community at large while promoting the Fulbright spirit. Check out the resources below to find ways for you to connect with your fellow members of the Fulbright Austria community.

Mentoring & volunteering

We continue to applaud your hard work, dedication, and diligence to complete your program year. After completing a degree or finishing your research paper, you are elated and sometimes stuck with one question: so what should I do now? Tell us about it. Your professional stories and accomplishments help inspire our community to reach their aspirations.

You can do this in one of two ways: formulate your Fulbright experience in writing or record an interview for our YouTube channel either in person or in our virtual recording studio. The goal is straightforward: inspire, advise, and mentor future, current, and recent program participants. Sharing your experience, achievements, and stories helps motivate and inspire others while also broadening your view on what lies ahead. Submit your story or contact us to share your experience in an interview.

Taking the opportunity to volunteer for Fulbright Austria isn’t a gift to an institution, it’s a gift to the people within that institution who have supported me and assisted me. I value these relationships, and volunteering is a way for me to say ‘thank you’ in a concrete way.

-Stephanie DePrez, 2019–21 US teaching assistant

The FOLD Symposium

Are you looking to share the Fulbright spirit after completing your program year? If so, then the FOLD Symposium is the right resource for you.

FOLD stands for Fulbrighters Of the Last Decades. Fulbright Austria started the FOLD Symposium as a means of supporting alums interested in organizing an event to explore topics that are relevant to them and that they are passionate about. The aim is to empower alums from different fields of study and program years to further our mission—independent of Fulbright Austria—by fostering community-building, promoting networking and exchange amongst the community, and increasing the visibility of the Fulbright Program and the local Fulbright Austria alum community.

Eligibility

Only Fulbright Austria alums are eligible to be symposium organizers and leaders. All Fulbright Austria alums are encouraged to apply for sponsorship, either on behalf of a Fulbright alum organization or on their own.

Funding from Fulbright Austria

Fulbright Austria sponsors one FOLD Symposium per year. The funding provided by Fulbright Austria—up to €2,000—is intended as financial support for catering, venue rental, and technical support at the venue. Applicants can seek additional funding from other sponsors.

Location of symposium

Symposia will rotate between Austrian provinces each year. Recent locations:

Application process

Symposium proposal submissions are due by 1 November to be considered for sponsorship from Fulbright Austria the following year.

In our "Alum Downloads" section, you can download the FOLD Symposium Grant Details and Proposal Instructions, which include the basic information contained on this page about the FOLD Symposium as well as a list of all the sections required in your proposal and the timeline from proposal submission to execution and reporting. For further inquiries, please email Mitch Sims, our alumni relations manager.

Chapters

Chapters is the new term! This initiative is supported by Fulbright Austria and organized and run by alum members. We understand our alum community is dynamic, and we know there are a number of topics and fields the community is interested in—and that our events and activities might not always be able to dive deep enough into the needs of a particular group within our community. As a result, if you are interested in bringing together members of the community in your local area to exchange experience, swap know-how, or create thematically driven networking events, then create a local chapter that is voluntary and free of charge.

This platform is perfect for a group of like-minded individuals to meet and exchange on a number of topics that in essence supports the community at large and upholds the Fulbright spirit. Be it helping newly arrived scholars acclimate to their new surroundings, creating visibility for the academic excellence of our grantees, raising money for a grant, or creating symposia on a particular topic, a local chapter is a great way to get involved in the US or in Austria.

A chapter should meet on a regular basis, create activities to promote the Fulbright mission and support the community at large, take place online or in person, and be free of annual dues.

If you are interested in starting a chapter, please reach out to us and let us support your initiative.

Launch a fundraiser: Sharing the gift-giving with others

If you are looking to create a unique way to help us raise money for the Fulbright Austria Opportunity Fund or even to spread the word about Fulbright Austria, we hope you’ll consider contributing some of your talents. Whether it’s singing in a charity concert, participating in a marathon or walkathon, asking friends to donate instead of giving you a birthday present, or anything else that lets your talents shine, you have the chance to get others involved while doing what you love. If you would like our support organizing a personalized fundraiser for Fulbright Austria, we’re here to help!

Important note: Fulbright Austria can only provide support for fundraising activities focused on donations for the Fulbright Austria Opportunity Fund. Collections for other purposes cannot be carried out in Fulbright Austria’s name.

Serve on the Alum Advisory Panel

We would like to announce a great way for you to network with alums who are passionate about Fulbright Austria: by joining a panel that is committed to helping our fundraising and development programs succeed and thrive.

The Alum Advisory Panel is a volunteer panel comprised of Fulbright Austria alums that was established to support Fulbright Austria’s mission by strengthening ongoing alum engagement, supporting Fulbright Austria’s fundraising goals, and giving panel members the opportunity to act as ambassadors for the Fulbright Austria community. The panel works to foster and sustain a mutually beneficial community that supports research, study, and teaching opportunities for future Fulbright Austria program participants.

The advisory panel advises Fulbright Austria on alum outreach, development, and fundraising events and activities. The panel also helps Fulbright Austria recruit alums to donate to Fulbright Austria financially or as volunteers at Fulbright Austria events and activities.

As an alumna, it is a pleasure to give back to the Fulbright Austria community, which has given me so much. Being a part of the Alum Advisory Panel has given me the opportunity to cultivate a broader Fulbright network that connects, inspires, and continues to make the Fulbright experience possible for future generations.

-Melissa Danas, 2017–18 US Fulbright student

Who are we looking for?

To be a member of the Alum Advisory Panel, you must have completed a program administered by Fulbright Austria and should:

Commit to a term of two years

Be a team player and able to express the effect your program had on your life

Be passionate and committed to Fulbright Austria’s values

Show a history of connection to Fulbright Austria

Lead by example and make an annual gift to the Fulbright Austria Opportunity Fund

Promote Fulbright Austria in your social and professional circles

Help recruit attendees for event and activities

The Alum Advisory Panel consists of up to 12 alums and meets a minimum of two times per year. Members can attend meetings either in person or online. The agenda will be driven by the panel’s composition and the inputs panel members provide for the Fulbright Austria engagement plan.

How do I join the panel?

If you are interested in serving on Fulbright Austria’s Alum Advisory Panel, please email Mitch Sims, our alumni relations manager, for further information.