Exploring the Attributes and Practices of Alumni Associations that Advance Social Change

Through a multi-case study, this research explores how three higher education alumni associations organize to influence social change in Georgia, Ghana, and Mongolia. All organizations started as international scholarship program alumni associations, yet findings show they developed into social change organizations over time. In the absence of extensive financial support, these associations sustained their network based on close personal relationships among members. Targeted social issues varied by country, as did relationships with the scholarship funder. Results aim to inform those who consider how international higher education contributes to social change in low- and middle-income countries, especially through alumni networks.