When his firm sent him abroad two years ago to launch the business overseas, Aaron Bates, ESIA BA ’98, needed a way to meet people in his new home. He sought out the GW Alumni Association in London to get him started.

“On moving to London, I was looking for ways to network and meet people,” said Bates, who now leads the Alumni Association’s London chapter. “One of my first stops was the GW Alumni Association. Considering the international nature of the student body at GW, I thought we were bound to have graduates living and working in London.”

He was right. Not only does GW have many graduates living in London, the university has alumni in more than 145 countries across the globe, totaling more than 7,500 alumni living abroad.

In addition to the London chapter of the Alumni Association, GW has many international alumni chapters and events including in cities and countries such as Dubai, Turkey, Seoul, Hong Kong, Philippines, Brazil, and Beijing. As the university puts more emphasis on building a global community, alumni have more opportunities to get involved.

“In a short time we have gone from having one to two events a year to having at least one event a quarter. We are moving beyond simply the social networking to create an organization that provides a lasting connection to the university,” Bates said. “Additionally, we are seeking out successful alumni in the region who are willing to share their experiences with other GW alumni.”

Bo Jin, GWSB Maccy, Beijing’s Alumni Association chapter leader, said he hopes to help alumni in Shanghai start an alumni group in their region. He also has ambitions to work with alumni in other Chinese cities to donate money to establish GW Alumni Association China Scholarships.

“China is one of the biggest and promising emerging markets in the world,” Jin said. “I believe that there are more business opportunities in China for graduates of GW. I hope that more GW alumni around the world can come to China, to experience Chinese hospitality, to explore Chinese history and culture, to sense and seize huge business opportunities in China and to take actions.”

Jin, whose GW experiences strongly motivated him to get involved as an alumnus, said he would also like for the GW Beijing chapter to collaborate with other American university alumni chapters to launch a series of cultural and community service events.

“I loved my time at GW and was always impressed by the successes our graduates achieved in their respective professional fields,” Jin said. “By involving myself among alumni abroad, I was hoping to provide a forum for those alumni to meet each other to share their experiences and recreate a bond with the university.”

For more information on the GW Alumni Association’s international activities, alumni can visit the international alumni programs website. For more information on how to start an alumni chapter in your area, click here.