Bosch Alumni Network - Driving Change

Network Building
Who are the members? What
are the topics? And what purpose
does boschalumni.net serve?
Collaboration
How to get actively involved in
the network? And what does a
regional coordinator actually do?
Prototyping
Why is a red sofa used for
Monday on the Couch?
Which cases are suitable
for the PractitionersLab?
Bosch Alumni Network
Driving Positive Societal Change

Contents
26
10
34
42
18
18
03
EDITORIAL
10
NETWORK
BUILDING
18
COLLAB -
O RATION
26
MAKING
CONNECTIONS
34
KNOWLEDGE
EXCHANGE
42
PROTOTYPING
04
One Network
― Many Players
06
“10,000 Alumni
― That’s an Untapped
Treasure”
08
Alumni Become
Partners
09
The Network in
Numbers
12
Our Network of
Media Protagonists
14
Social Network
Analysis
16
Boschalumni.net
― Connecting the
Global Community
Online
20
Five Ways to Get
Involved!
22
A Research Network
on the Rise
24
Strengthening the
Network Worldwide
28
Network Allies
29
“Together We Laid
the Foundation for
Something Beautiful”
31
Global-Local
32
This Way to the
Meet-Up!
36
Would You Have
Guessed...?
37
Connecting
Network Members
39
Work and Meaning
41
Dialogue Between
Generations
44
See You on Monday!
46
A Laboratory for
the Network
49
The Wind of Change
Imprint
PUBLISHER International Alumni Center gGmbH, Linienstr. 65a, 10119 Berlin; founded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH;
Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 759544; info@iac-berlin.org, iac-berlin.org | MANAGEMENT Darius Polok | RESPONSIBLE Darius Polok |
EDITORS Nina Linkel and Alexandra Schiffmann | DAUMENKINO GRAPHICS Anne Lehmann; annelehmann.de | GRAPHIC & LAYOUT
Actu&Tactu; actu-tactu.de | PRINT LASERLINE GmbH | Published: 2018

Editorial
At the beginning of 2017, the Robert Bosch Stiftung founded the International Alumni Center
(iac Berlin) to build the global Bosch Alumni Network — a network that consists of all former
and current fellows, grantees, partners and staff members of the foundation. No small task,
by any means, but an exciting one, nonetheless.
And so, a small team of us began to work. We didn’t have an office space, didn’t know how
many people were in the network (we still don’t, actually) and weren’t sure if the idea of a
global network of Bosch Alumni would even resonate with the people we were trying to reach.
We had also never worked with each other before. Almost two years later, we can honestly
say it’s been one hell of a journey!
We brainstormed with you in numerous workshops, opened the Community Space in Berlin
Mitte, launched our online platform that now counts almost 5,000 members, realized more
than 40 network projects, appointed 53 regional coordinators in 18 regions, and, as a network,
hosted events around the world! And none of that would have been possible without all of you
and your ideas — thank you for co-creating these last two years with us.
As a thank you to all of you and a way of showcasing some of the inspiring people, projects and
organizations our network holds, we decided to put together this publication — in collaboration
with all of you.
We look forward to developing our network collectively with you over the many more years to
come!
3

One Network — Many Players
What was your most meaningful moment within the
Bosch Alumni Network?
Maria Efimova comes
from Russia and is an
alumna of the “Lecture-
ship Program.” She is in
Dorottya Bérci is an
Petra Sorge is an
her second semester of
alumna of the Mummert
alumna of the program
the master‘s program
Foundation. She comes
“Media Ambassadors
German as a Foreign
from Hungary and cur-
India-Germany” and
Language at the Freie
rently works as a civil
works as a freelance
Universität Berlin.
engineer in Düsseldorf.
journalist in Berlin.
“When I moved to Berlin in the summer of
2017 for a master‘s program, a former Lectureship
colleague secured me a job as a
German and Russian teacher at the same
language school at which she also works.
But it‘s impossible to choose one moment.
There are so many great moments which
have characterized and continue to define
the Lectureship itself and the time afterwards.”
“I received a grant from the iac Berlin to
participate in the ‘Critical Concrete Summer
School’ in Porto in August of 2017.
While there, I met Aarushi, an architecture
student from India. When I traveled to
New Delhi in March 2018, we met again
and she showed me around her city. It
was amazing to see how easy it is to stay
in touch and to meet someone from your
network again, even when he or she lives
so far away.”
“In October 2017 I took part in the Bosch
Alumni Network conference ‘Balkan
Refugee Route’ in Serbia. Thanks to that
opportunity, I was able to research and
write my article ‘Favorite Subject: German’
about Nadire, a Roma girl, and her deportation
from Germany and new life in Kosovo.
The article was published in the Berliner
Zeitung and in May 2018 I received the
Otto von Habsburg Prize for Journalism
in Minority Protection and Cultural Diversity
in Europe.”
Photos: Maria Efimova, Dorottya Bérci, Hatto Schmidt
4

Subhi Azizi was a guest
Marc Kwizera and
student in the field of
Fabrice Muchiga are
society at the Robert
alumni of the “Change-
Bosch Stiftung. In 2015
Aneta and Martin
makerXchange” program.
he fled from Aleppo via
Koppernock met as
Marc is currently buil-
Turkey and the Balkans
fellows of the “Bellevue
ding up a volunteer work
to Germany in order to
Programme.” Aneta
community for young
avoid being recruited by
works for the German-
university graduates
the military. Currently
Polish Youth Office in
in Rwanda. Fabrice
he is enrolled in the Poli-
Potsdam; Martin works
empowers youth in the
tical Science Masters
at the Federal Ministry
Congo in their leader-
Program at the Freie
for Labor and Social
ship abilities and in
Universität Berlin.
Affairs in Berlin.
entrepreneurship.
Photos: Manuel Frauendorf, Martin Koppernock, Marc Kwizera
“It was a great moment when I received
my acceptance letter for the guest student
placement at the Robert Bosch Stiftung.
That‘s how I became a member of the
Bosch Alumni Network in the first place.
In the Robert Bosch Stiftung, I was able
to improve my strategic thinking. That is
particularly valuable for me because I
want to go into politics after my master‘s
program. To achieve my goal, it is important
that I have early contact with experts
wor king in the field, which the large Bosch
Alumni Network makes possible.”
“In 2010 I was placed in the Polish Ministry
of Labor and Social Policy in Warsaw with
the ‘Bellevue Programme.’ In July I received
an inquiry from Aneta, another ‘Bellevue’
fellow, asking if we could meet. Her ministry,
for regional development, was opposite
mine. We got on well right from the start.
In 2011, she traveled in the other direction
and went from Warsaw to Berlin, where
she moved in with me. Hanna was born in
Berlin in 2012, and Lena was born in 2014
in Warsaw, where I returned to work for
four years as a social attaché in the German
Embassy. Since 2017 we are back together
in Germany.”
“In June 2018 we traveled to the capital
of Kenya in order to learn from The Somo
Project, an NGO which promotes selfdetermination
and education in the slum
Kibera. In doing so, we became acquainted
with strategies to use in our own work,
such as helping educate citizens to become
social entrepreneurs in order to further
social transformation in low-income
com munities. Without the support of the
Learning Exchange Grant from the iac Berlin,
we wouldn‘t have been able to make
this trip.”
5

“10,000 Alumni —
That’s an Untapped Treasure”
Joachim Rogall
online
89%
Good morning, Mr. Rogall. 9:00
I hope the is also
shining in Stuttgart. 9:01
I am in Heidelberg, but the
sun is also shining here. 9:01
I myself am an alumna from the
“Lectureship Program in Asia.” 9:02
In its 54 years the foundation has
had nearly 10,000 alumni in its
different programs. 9:03
But we are only in contact with a small
percent of those alumni. 9:03
Professor Dr. Joachim Rogall
has been the CEO of the Robert
Bosch Stiftung since April 2013.
Nina Linkel, from the International
Alumni Center, chatted with him
about the importance and impact
of the network and its work with
alumni.
That is an untapped treasure. 9:04
And why is it being tapped only
now with the founding of the Bosch
Alumni Network? 9:04
We are certain that a renewed relationship
between the foundation and its alumni is
mutually beneficial. When I became CEO
I was able to make the necessary funds
available. 9:06
We had been doing alumni
work before then but not as part
of a systemic and holistic
approach. 9:06
Interview: Nina Linkel Photo: Robert Bosch Stiftung
6

What’s new is also this
idea of extending the reach
beyond our own alumni. 9:07
Being grateful for the support in a
critical phase of life, having contact
to other alumni, being part of a
network. 9:08
What does being an alumnus
mean to you personally? 9:08
As an alumnus you can find experts
more easily, get advice, be directed to
interesting positions, find support or
mentors, but also be able to offer all
of that to others, too. 9:19
You usually get much more
than you give ... 9:20
First you contribute something, but then
you also get something in return. 9:20
How would you depict the Bosch
Alumni Network with emoticons?
9:09
9:09
How much you get out of it depends
on the individual. 9:21
It‘s an offer, an opportunity, but
there‘s no obligation. 9:21
When I helped launch the iac
Berlin, I was able to create a
broader consensus for it through
dialogue with other Bosch alumni
who in the meantime had become
CEOs of other foundations (BMW,
Mercator). 9:13
Another story about the network: 9:13
When I had a meeting with a
Polish Prime Minister a few years
ago, he outed himself as a Bosch
alumnus … 9:14
Do you have a short
anecdote that shows what
an alumni network can
bring about? 9:09
Oh really, who was that?! 9:15
What do you think Robert Bosch himself would
have said about the Bosch Alumni Network? 9:22
He would have seen it the same way and
supported it, since it can multiply and
strengthen his ideas and visions. 9:23
We are becoming a community that
achieves more than the sum of its
individual actions. 9:23
What advice would you like to give to
the Bosch Alumni Network? A wish for
the future! 9:24
That as many people as possible
participate and make the best of it,
have fun and find many new friends
and partners for collective initiatives
so that the world will become a
little better! 9:27
Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz 9:15
Think about more recent alumni —
how would you convince them to
get involved in the Bosch Alumni
Network?
9:17
It is great to be part of a global network with
limitless possibilities. 9:18
9:29
Thank you and goodbye 9:31
Those are good closing
words! 9:30
Have a nice rest of
your day! 9:30
7

Alumni Become Partners
Darius Polok
has been the CEO of
the International Alumni
Center since January
2017. As an alumnus
of the “Lectureship
Program,” over 20 years
ago he co-founded the
association MitOst,
where he served as the
Managing Director.
A Think & Do Tank for
networks in philanthropy
Besides the coordination of the Bosch
Alumni Network, the International
Alumni Center (iac Berlin) has a general
mission: as a learning center, the iac
Berlin advises foundations and other
non-profit organizations on the design
of impact-driven networks and provides
the necessary tools and know-how.
With the launch of the iac Berlin, the
Robert Bosch Stiftung wants to further
develop the network competencies in
philanthropy and supports a global network
of people who drive social change
and shape communities.
More at www.iac-berlin.org
The International Alumni Center is a Think & Do Tank for
impact-oriented networks in philanthropy founded by
the Robert Bosch Stiftung. It advises foundations and
other non-profit organizations, helps with practical
solutions and initiates partnerships. In close cooperation
with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the International
Alumni Center coordinates the newly founded Bosch
Alumni Network.
After their fellowship, completion of of the foundation and connects them
a project grant or their work with the foun- across programs and topics. The platform
dation, many Bosch alumni act as instigators
of positive social change. They with network members and maintains
boschalumni.net was developed together
contribute to the reconciliation between ties between them online. This magazine
communities, the development of critical shows the potential of the network and
journalism, the creation of citizen-friendly outlines opportunities to get involved.
administration and the integration of
The online portal demonstrates just how
newcomers. Alumni are multipliers of the
active the Bosch community is. It is hard
foundation‘s ideals, a source of ideas and
to imagine that a few years ago most of the
bridge builders — they are trustful and
foundation‘s alumni had no opportunity
longstanding partners of the Robert Bosch
to find like-minded people and exchange
Stiftung.
ideas with them. However, even before
Alumni become partners — this in short the founding of the iac Berlin, there was
stands for an attitude and a mission for dedicated and professional work with
all of us. In January 2017, the Robert alumni — in various alumni associations
Bosch Stiftung has entrusted the newly and informal groups.
founded International Alumni Center
Today, in the Bosch Alumni Network these
(iac Berlin) with shaping this partnership-based
re lationship and impact-driven
preexisting structures serve as gateways
for information and ideas. Just as the
alumni network.
regional coordinators, organizers of the
Ever since, the iac Berlin team has coordi- meet-ups and the project managers of the
nated and developed the Bosch Alumni many alumni activities, they contribute
Network in close cooperation with colleagues
from the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The and cross-sector network. The diversity
to the further development of this global
network currently consists of some 5,000 of the Bosch Alumni Network is its
former fellows, partners and employees greatest asset.
Photo: Jan Zappner
8

The Network in Numbers
13
More than 20 representatives from
alumni associations
people took part in more
than events and workshops
75
at the iac Berlin Community Space
since its opening in May 2017.
met at the first Bosch Alumni Associations
Meeting in November 2017.
people have been informed about the
projects of the Bosch Alumni Network on
Facebook since June 2017.
1,400+
followers
on Facebook.
750+
26 events with
participants
were organized by alumni
for alumni – including
barcamps, webinars, meet-ups,
study trips and trainings.
52
18
In spring 2018,
regional coordinators
were selected for
regions
— inlcuding India, East Africa, Russia,
the USA and the Western Balkans.
users
on boschalumni.net.
29
partners and alumni of
programs took part in the three-day
kick-off of the Civil Society Cluster in
the iac Berlin Community Space in
June 2018.
9

10

Network Building
For more than 50 years, the Robert Bosch Stiftung has supported
people who are driving positive societal change across borders and
in the spirit of the founder Robert Bosch. The Bosch Alumni Network
was created to strengthen ties between former fellows and grantees
across programs and sectors, and to continue the dialogue with the
foundation. The network showcases competencies and potentials
and works as a lever to drive positive social impact.
Who are the members? What are the topics? Who works at the
International Alumni Center? And for what purposes can you use
the platform boschalumni.net?

Our Network of
Media Protagonists
Lisa Richter
The Media Cluster develops alumni projects which
investigate innovations in media and promote collaborative
cross-border journalism. With this aim in
mind, eleven alumni traveled to the podcast capital
New York City.
has built up the
Media Cluster within
the Bosch Alumni
Network since 2016.
The United States has long been considered
a trailblazer of new trends and
developments in the media sector. This
is particularly true for radio journalism,
where podcast formats challenge traditional
production methods and launch new
financing models.
Outside of the US, on the other hand,
commercially successful, locally produced
audio clips are rare. Even though the number
of European listeners is continually on
the rise — for example in Germany, where
listener numbers have increased from 2.1
to 7.5 million in the past four years — podcasts
are still considered to be a niche
product. How can this status be transformed
to make the format profitable? And
how does good podcasting work in the
first place?
During a three-day study tour, eleven members
of the Bosch Alumni Network — from
Germany, France, Croatia, South Korea and
the US — tackled these questions together
with USA podcast greats like Dean Cappello
(WNYC Studios), Ann Heppermann (Pineapple
Studios) and Otis Gray (“Hungry“
podcast). It was organized by Bosch alumni
and freelance journalists Thomas Reintjes
and Jelena Prtoric. “We wanted to find out
how the art of storytelling differs in the US
and Europe and understand why there is
such a large demand for podcasts in the
US — but hardly any abroad,“ the two organizers
explained.
The study tour was one of more than 40
project proposals submitted to an open
call for ideas initiated by the Media Cluster
in the spring of 2017. Along with the study
tour, three other projects were chosen
to be funded by a jury of alumni as well as
representatives of the International Alumni
Center (iac Berlin) and the Robert Bosch
Stiftung: a workshop on innovative financing
models in journalism, the five-part
webinar “Data, Data Sources and Using
Data“ and the conference “Balkan Refugee
Route“ in Belgrade ( p. 22), which served
as a kick-off for a transnational research
Podcast Universe
How does US American storytelling
differ from European storytelling, and
why has New York in particular become
such a podcasting hub? The participants
of the study tour have produced their
own podcast to answer these questions
and more, which is available to download
free of charge at boschalumni.net
in the group “World of Podcasting.“
network on the topics of migration and
flight. Numerous proposals were also submitted
in 2018, five of which were implemented
with the financial and logistical
support of the iac Berlin.
What makes it special is that here, network
members do not just serve as catalysts
and sources of inspiration, but as project
managers who carry out the proposed
ideas independently. Alumni with a common
thematic interest are brought together
in different formats and across regional
and program boundaries. Always with
the goal in mind to strengthen transnational
journalism and promote innovations
in media. The ideas come from the network
itself — such as for the project spearheaded
by Jelena and Thomas, whose shared
passion for podcasts brought eleven
Bosch alumni from around the world to
New York City.
Lucie Menz has coordinated the
Media Cluster since July 2018.
Photo: Jan Zappner
12

The Media Cluster
in numbers
150+
Photos: iac Berlin, Nina Linkel
alumni
took part in one of the
projects in the Media
Cluster in 2017.
More than
70+
Participants of the
study tour in front of
the New York Public
Radio studios.
Bosch alumnus
Benjamin Lorch while
recording his podcast.
project ideas
were submitted by network
members in the Media
Cluster‘s calls for ideas in
2017 and 2018.
Over
1,000+
alumni
have subscribed to
the “Media“ group on
boschalumni.net.
1 webinar series on the
topics of digitalization,
media and civil society
1 study tour to Bosnia-
Herzegovina
1 conference titled
“Empowering Investigative
Journalism“
1 workshop about
alternative financing models
in journalism
1 study about quality journalism
and social media
were all carried out in the
Media Cluster by alumni
for alumni in 2018.
13

Social Network Analysis
Why an analysis of relationships between alumni
is vital.
Charlotte Carnehl
is a senior project
manager of the Bosch
Alumni Network at the
iac Berlin. Her focus
is on the expansion of
the Governance Cluster
as well as the further
strategic development
of the network.
How strongly connected are the network
members? And what holds them together?
These questions had to be empirically
analyzed for the Bosch Alumni Network.
In summer 2017, more than 700 alumni of
the “Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship
Program,” the program “Baladiya – New
Paths in Urban Development” and the
“Bellevue Programme” all received an online
survey. The main focus of the survey was
to ask: which people from your program
are you regularly in contact with, and also
with which people from the broader Bosch
Alumni Network? After a particularly high
response rate of up to 80%, depending on
the program, a vivid picture emerged using
social network analysis.
Before the analysis, there were three key
assumptions:
connected than those from previous ones.
However, we also found that the alumni
from the first cohorts of a program are
still very closely connected. Even the existence
of an alumni association is not a clear
indicator for stronger connections.
What keeps people together after so many
years? In all groups surveyed, two components
particularly stand out: Shared values
and connection based on shared experiences.
We want to build on this with the
Governance Cluster.
Alumni within a program are well
connected, but have little contact to
alumni from other programs.
The more recent the participation in
a program, the greater the degree of
connection.
Within the alumni networks that have
a formal structure (e.g. an association)
there are closer connections between
the alumni.
One observation became clear through
the analysis: alumni of a program have
hardly any contact to alumni from other
programs. In many cases, however, the
alumni ex plicitly desire these contacts
in order to expand their own thematic
or regional perspective. The two other
theses could not be answered definitively.
There is a trend that fellows from more
recent program years are more closely
What is network
analysis?
Who is connected to which
other members of the network?
How close are the
relationships, and are they
based on reciprocity?
Where traditional qualitative
data reach their limits, social
network analysis can offer
further help. It allows social
relationships and interactions
between people to
be analyzed and clearly
depicted in network maps.
This network analysis was
carried out in cooperation
with the organization
between|.|ness.
Photo: Jan Zappner
14

Network Density: Indicator of
Important Players:
Effectiveness and Stability
Influencers and Networkers
An entire network can be described through
Social network analysis not only considers
What is a cluster?
one major indicator: its density.The density
the entire network, but can likewise provide
The Bosch Alumni Network
brings together alumni from
over 160 programs of the
Robert Bosch Stiftung.
In order to connect alumni
with similar profiles, the
concept of topic-based
clusters was developed.
provides insight about the entirety of
existing connections compared with the
connections that are theoretically possible.
Networks with particularly high levels of
density possess greater effectiveness and
stability.
insight on particularly central and there fore
important players (larger nodes). These
are identified by the connections issuing
from them (out-degree) and the connections
going towards them (in-degree).
People who are mentioned particularly
often by others can be called influencers.
The Governance
Cluster in figures:
Those who mention a high number of other
people can be called networkers. In the
structure of a network, these two groups of
500+
people are of particular signifi cance: they
serve as multipliers and communicators
into their network and are thus key points
for spreading information, among other
alumni
things.
have subscribed to the
“Governance” group on
boschalumni.net.
36
project ideas
from alumni of
20
programs
The alumni network of the
were submitted to the first
call for ideas announced
within the Governance
Cluster in fall 2017.
1 hackathon
about biodiversity
1 listening lab about
urban transformation
“Bellevue Program.” The last two
program cycles are depicted
in light blue and pink. Their
network is relatively dense, for
instance, but is mainly limited
to their own program cycle.
1 podcast series and
online symposium
Network maps: between | . | ness
about online learning
1 virtual training for more
citizen participation
1 cross-sectoral workshop
on the promotion of
trust and transparency
were organized by alumni
for alumni in 2018.
Navigation assistance for the
network maps
Behind every node of these graphics is
a clearly identifiable person. Every line
between two nodes represents a connection
between two people. The colors
stand for different program cycles.
The influencers in the network
of the “Robert Bosch
Foundation Fellowship
Program.” The larger the
nodes, the more often the
person was mentioned
by other alumni from the
program.
15

Boschalumni.net — Connecting
the Global Community Online
In April 2017, the network officially launched its online
platform to connect individuals from across the world
in one virtual environment. Wondering how signing
up to the community could be of use to you? Read on
to find out more about some of the tools and features
available.
Alexandra Schiffmann
works as communications
and community manager
at the iac Berlin and is in
charge of the development
of the online platform
boschalumni.net.
Helpful Features
On boschalumni.net you can connect with colleagues, exchange ideas,
share your stories, and stay updated on the latest news, events, and job
opportunities within the network. Here are five features to get you started.
16
The platform in
numbers
boschalumni.net already
counts more than
4,600+
members
from
173
different programs
and
114
different countries in its
community and the number
is rising steadily by the day.
People Search
Looking for someone from your program
or organizing a workshop and looking for
a moderator? Connect with other members
from your program, with a certain
expertise, or in a certain place by using
the search mask in the “people” section
or via “select people” in the messenger,
to contact them directly.
Live Feed
Traveling to a new destination and looking
for a place to stay, or looking to connect
with others during your next business trip?
Set up a post in the “live feed” to let other
people know what you are up to. You can
also use the “notify people” button on your
post, to inform specific members in the
network about your plans or projects.
Jobs & Opportunities
Are you looking for a new challenge or
are you interested in current calls and
opportunities from the Robert Bosch
Stiftung or the network? Maybe you are
looking for the right candidate to fill an
open position in your organization?
The “jobs & opportunities” section combines
project calls and job offers from across
the network and makes it easy for you to
post your own offers to the community.
Events
Are you organizing an event in your city or
are you interested in joining more network
activities in your region? The “events” section
enables you to easily search for what’s
happening in your vicinity or create your
own event page to promote it to a wider
audience.
Groups
Interested in a certain region or topic
and looking for like-minded people? The
“groups” section caters to a variety of interests
and provides smaller online communities
for connecting on specific issues.
Photo: Jan Zappner

Number of users on
boschalumni.net.
June 2017 100
January 2018 2,300
May 2018 3,050
August 2018 4,350
October 2018 4,620
Network members are spread
all across the world.
Here are three steps to get
you started!
“A Tool to Turn Abstract Ideas into Reality”
Jörg Gläscher is a German photographer and alumnus of the program
“Crossing Borders.” His photo project “In the Name of the People” searches
for the visual essence of public service and explores questions such as
“what is a state?” and “who are the faces behind it?”. While he was working
on it, he turned to the network for support on boschalumni.net. Read his
user story here.
1
Register on the platform!
2
“I was looking to follow state officials, mayors,
judges and police officers world-wide
during their daily business for two or three
fellow alumni and some were a great fit
for my project. Almost all of the responses
challenged and pushed my ideas for the
Search for and
days. I knew that members of the Bosch
project and I have already travelled to pla-
connect with other
Alumni Network are spread across the
ces such as Georgia, Greece or Indonesia
network members!
world, so I posted a note on the „live feed”
with the help of network members. I am
Photo: Jörg Gläscher
3
Come up with innovative ideas
and turn these into concrete
projects with the support of the
Bosch Alumni Network.
of the online platform and asked whether
somebody knew any indi viduals who fit the
project criteria and whom I could shadow
for a few days.
The response was fantastic! Within a few
days, I had received many replies from
hugely grateful to everybody who helped
me out and the boschalumni.net for being
such a great tool to turn abstract ideas
into reality.”
17

CO
B
A
ON
18

Collaboration
“Let‘s do it together” is an important principle within the Bosch
Alumni Network. Projects and events are co-created by alumni and
for alumni. Network members are therefore not only catalysts for
ideas, but also serve as project managers who implement their concepts
in teams. Together with the regional coordinators, the International
Alumni Center supports the alumni as partners.
How can you get actively involved in the network? Which “by alumni
for alumni” events have already taken place? And what does a regional
coordinator actually do?

5 Ways to Get Involved!
Whether you‘re in the early stages of your professional
career or already an expert in your field, here are five
ways the network can be of benefit to you.
1
Use the Online Platform
boschalumni.net
Boschalumni.net is a helpful tool to find
people from your program, region or with
a specific skill. You can publish your events,
find job opportunities, notify others about
your upcoming travel plans or find a couch
at your next destination. Are you planning
an event and need a facilitator? Post your
request on boschalumni.net and find a
suitable network member to assist.
Do you want to be more involved on the
platform? Form a thematic or regional
group and become its community manager!
3
2
Attend Network Events
The events of the Bosch Alumni Network
take place in many different parts of the
world. Meeting other network members
to discuss, brainstorm or just have a beer
together is a great way to get to know
new people and set free collective innovation.
You can find all network events
on boschalumni.net.
Feel free to publish your own events here
as well!
Apply for a “Learning Exchange
Grant”
Would you like to share your knowledge
with other network members or learn
from them? Form a learning partnership,
apply for one of our Learning Exchange
Grants and tell us about the benefits your
participation will have for your personal
and professional development! Learning
Exchange Grants are small travel grants
designed to support professional exchange
between network members from different
regions work-ing on similar topics.
Find more information and stories about
learning exchange visits on p. 37.
20

5
Organize a Bosch Alumni
Network Event
4
Submit Your Project Idea
for the Network
On a regular basis, the iac Berlin publishes
open calls for ideas that give you the opportunity
to submit concrete project proposals.
The only requirement is that the suggested
activities are open to network members
from different program backgrounds and
that they are non-profit. You would like to
organize a workshop? Great! You are thinking
about forming a working group around
a specific challenge? Let’s do it!
The iac Berlin has prototyped many event
formats for different needs that you can
host or implement yourself. Check them
out here: ( p. 46)!
( p. 44)!
Would you like to get involved in your
city or region and meet other members
of the network? This interactive graphic
( p. 32) is a step-by-step guide to
your local Bosch alumni meeting.
Do you have new format ideas? Share
them with the iac Berlin team!
You will receive advisory support during
the application and implementation process
and, if selected, financial assistance.
Text: iac Berlin | Illustration: Carlotta Weiser
Any further questions,
ideas, suggestions?
Send an email to
info@boschalumni.net!
21

A Research Network
on the Rise
Bosch alumna Dóra Diseri wanted to improve the way journalists report about
refugees. Together with five other alumni, she laid the foundation for a trans-
national research network about migration.
The so-called “refugee crisis” challenged
not only politicians in Europe but also journalists.
Especially along the “Balkan route,”
it is still difficult to counter the populist
(and often government-friendly) narratives
and establish a discourse based on facts as
opposed to fear and disinformation. How
can we go beyond the “breaking news,” how
to preserve the “human face” of this crisis
and how to “stay on the story?”
These were the main questions that we
were already asking in 2016 during the
journalism training “Economic and Political
Reporting from Southeast Europe”
implemented by the Robert Bosch Stiftung
in Berlin, where fellows from Southeast
Europe discussed the reporting about migration
with their German colleagues from
big media outlets. We realized there was
much more to discuss – and that was when
the initial idea for the Belgrade conference
was born.
One month later, in October 2016, some
of us former media grant holders had
our very first alumni meeting in Riga, to
strength en our community across programs.
The International Alumni Center
(iac Berlin) was still a brand-new thing and
Lisa Richter, the coordinator of the Media
Cluster, was less than one month into her
job. She was eager to hear how we wanted
to keep this network of transnational media
actors alive and organized a brainstorming
session to collect ideas for future activities.
This was our moment:
We, six alumni, drafted the concept note
for a refugee route conference to be held
where the issue hit home — in Belgrade.
Group picture of the alumniorganization-team:
(from left)
Dóra Diseri, Juliane Löffler, Dušan
Mlađenović, Ann-Kathrin Stracke,
Ivan Fischer, Asli Sözbilir.
A conference by alumni for
alumni
The Bosch Alumni Network conference
“Balkan Refugee Route” was the kick-offevent
for a transnational research network
about migration and refugees and took
place in Belgrade (Serbia) in October 2017.
It was organized by six Bosch alumni from
four different media programs and five
different countries. The idea emerged
during a workshop and was subsequently
selected by an alumni jury (together with
representatives of the iac Berlin and the
Robert Bosch Stiftung) as part of the first
call of ideas within the Media Cluster.
Photo: Alexandra Schiffmann
22

Participants collect
“dos and don’ts” for
the media coverage
on migration.
Dóra Diseri
is an alumna of the program
“Medien-Mittler zwischen
den Völkern.” She currently
works as project manager
for “Reporters in the Field”
at n-ost.
When the iac Berlin announced the first
Dušan, based in Belgrade, was our team
and to enable better information flow
open call for ideas within the Media Cluster
member “in the field” who found the best
between media in various EU coun tries.
of the Bosch Alumni Network in spring
locations in town and organized a tour to
As a result of the several panels and
2017, we immediately filled out the appli-
the refugee center in Krnjača. Meanwhile,
intense discussions, we wrote an advisory
cation form and were thrilled when we
all of us tried to find and invite experts and
paper for journalists and NGO workers.
Photo: Dóra Diseri
found out our project had been chosen by
the jury. However, we soon realized this
was only the beginning of our journey and
the hardest part was yet to come. With all
of us working busy jobs, we skyped and
chatted between assignments.
Ivan tried to keep the whole group together
by delegating tasks and briefing Lisa,
who — together with the iac Berlin — provided
huge support to us. They also enabled
us to hold a face-to-face meeting in Berlin
where we had time to finalize the speakers’
list and choose the participants from the
many alumni who had applied for the
conference.
journalists from the respective countries
along the “refugee route.” Our aim was
to have at least two representatives from
each of those countries between Turkey
and Germany: one from the media and one
from the governance or NGO sector. We
wanted to enable an exchange that wasn’t
just cross-border, but also cross-sectoral
— where we could analyze the role of the
media in the social and political debates
about the so-called “refugee crisis.”
In the end, more than 60 people from 21
countries came together in Belgrade to
discuss current migration issues and problems
plaguing the reporting on refugees
After three days our conference ended,
but the discussions did not. We are still
planning to open a platform for sharing
information and experience, debunking
fake news and understanding processes
in a transnational and cross-sectoral
environment. This is because we believe
covering crises shouldn’t mean focusing
solely on “big events,” but also staying on
the story when the “mainstream media”
has already left.
23

Strengthening the Network
Worldwide
Alexandra
Schiffmann
In June 2018, 20 Bosch alumni came together in Berlin from a variety
of programs and representing 18 regions. They will be the new
of the Bosch Alumni Network for a period of one
year, thus playing a central role in the decentralization of the network.
The regional coordi-
nators in front of the
iac Berlin Community
Space.
More than 80 people from the Bosch
days of workshops, they collaborated to
What is a regional coordinator?
As a local point of contact for the network
members, the regional coordinators bring
the alumni in their region together with the
help of activities and events across programs
and online as well as offline. As a result, they
contribute significantly to the advancement
of the entire network. They perform their job
on a voluntary basis and receive a budget for
Alumni Network applied for the position of
with a motivational
letter and an outline of their strategy at the
beginning of the year. In total, 52 people
were chosen for the role and immediately
started to build up local network structures
— either alone or in teams — in 18 regions,
including China, India, North Africa and
different parts of Europe.
establish the role of the regional coordinators
and to develop local strategies for their
respective national contexts. Darius Polok,
CEO of the iac Berlin, remarked:
“This weekend was the start of
a journey. We want to discover
how we can advance the network
together with the alumni.”
Photo: Jan Zappner
regional activities and training in manage-
For the kick-off of the cooperation, the
As much as we strive towards positive
ment competence from the International
International Alumni Center (iac Berlin)
societal transformation across borders,
Alumni Center.
invited the local network representatives
the pathways to reach this goal are equally
to the Community Space in Berlin. In three
diverse. In order to gain an overview of the
24

different alumni in their respective regions,
several coordinators have already launched
the first alumni meetings, for example in
Washington D.C./USA, Yerevan/Armenia,
Athens/Greece and Budapest/Hungary.
Others have developed strategies to bring
together the alumni in their region and to
boost cooperation. Over the next twelve
months, specific networking formats will
be tested and refined in close cooperation
with the iac Berlin. These activities range
from monthly salons and workshops to
informal meet-ups. Deepak Ashwani, regional
coordinator for India and graduate of
the “ChangemakerXchange“ program, is
planning to establish a tandem system in
which pairs of alumni get to know each
other and can offer each other mutual support.
All regional coordinators now moderate
their own group on boschalumni.net
in order to coordinate their local activities.
With their expertise and dedication, the
regional coordinators are thus a valuable
resource at the disposal of the Robert
Bosch Stiftung and their work reinforces
the global impact of the foundation.
It is great to see how highly motivated our
regional coordinators are to build up net -
works in their region and, in doing so, to
support network members in their contributions
to an open and democratic society.
The iac Berlin team is excited to see the
experiences of the individual alumni and
of course the results in 2019!
Illustration: Francesca Cogni
25

26
MAKING

Making Connections
The Bosch Alumni Network comprises of many individual communities
which are coordinated by alumni associations or local alumni
groups. These act independently and have their own specific goals.
The team of the International Alumni Center supports these actors
by making resources, knowledge and communication channels
available and by helping to establish connections between them.
Which established alumni associations already exist? Which cities
have local network meetings? And how do you actually organize a
meet-up?

Network Allies
Sarah Hammerl
is a project manager at the
iac Berlin. She supports the
implementation of different
projects within the Bosch
Alumni Network.
Participating associations
Anciens du Dialogue d‘Avenir
Franco-Allemand – Alumni des
Deutsch-Französischen
Zukunftdialogs
Alumni Association of the
Mummert-Foundation
Alumniverein der SchulBrücken
Bellevue Alumni Association
Das KollegiAL
EPRIE Alumni Association
German-Chinese Media Network
The Bosch Alumni Network consists of a range of different
sub-communities. Despite their individual causes
and goals, there is much they can learn from and
with each other. For this reason, board members of 13
established alumni associations were brought together
for a meeting in Berlin, where they exchanged ideas
and experiences.
In late 2017, the iac Berlin team orga nized During the workshop in Berlin, much time
the first meeting for established alumni was dedicated to a capacity building workshop
on communities and finding the right
associations within the Bosch Alumni Network.
The goal was for the association strategy for the right purpose. The group
re presentatives to get to know each other, discussed the individual needs of their
exchange ideas and experiences and esta- respective associations and learned ways
blish opportunities for possible cooperation
projects.
managing communities. Ana-Maria Stuth,
to address the challenges of building and
the director of the Akademie für Ehrenamtlichkeit
Deutschland, held a presentation
Due to the variety of programs of the
Robert Bosch Stiftung and their alumni
with further input on formulating visions,
groups, it came as no surprise that many
missions and goals of associations through
participants didn‘t know each other and,
organisational and strategic development.
therefore, were curious to learn about
regional activities taking place all around A key takeaway from this first meeting was
the globe. For the majority of the participants
getting to know other networks build strong and sustainable associations.
that further exchange is needed on how to
and being able to learn from each other That‘s why the next meeting is already
was a key aspect.
scheduled for November 2018.
Indo-German Media Network
Japanese-German Young Leaders
Forum Alumni Association
MitOst
Nefia – Netzwerk für
internationale Aufgaben
Robert Bosch Cultural Managers
Network
Robert Bosch Foundation
Alumni Association (RBFAA)
Brigitta Boka, representative of the Alumni
Association of the Mummert-Foundation,
got to the heart of it with her takeaways of
the meeting:
“I liked that each participant was
once in the same boots, that we had
similar problems and interests
during the workshop and, because
of this, could find peers in the network
who struggle with similar
issues or can help with ours.”
If you are interested in the work of associations
in Germany, take a look at the
group “Task Force e.V.” and “Fundraising”
on boschalumni.net.
Our fellow alumni of the program “Fast
Track” are in the processes of founding
an alumni network for women in science.
Check out their story on the next page.
Photo: Jan Zappner
28

“Together We Laid the Foundation
for Something Beautiful”
Female scientists in the fast lane: “Fast Track” alumna Konstantina
Papathanasiou explains how an alumni network can help bring more
female scientists into management positions.
Nina Linkel
Photo: Anita Back
Konstantina Papathanasiou
is an alumna of the “Fast Track”
program. She is a senior lecturer
on criminal justice and
a postdoctoral scholar in the
scope of the 2nd program for
female professors organized
by the Federal Ministry for
Education and Research at the
University of Regensburg as
well as a lecturer of German
criminal law at the Faculté
Libre de Droit in Paris.
Konstantina, as a scientist in criminal
law, you are a woman in a maledominated
field. How important are
networks for a scientific career?
Very important! Competence and quality
are certainly necessary requirements.
Besides that, one must also develop a
reputation for one’s own good work.
In order to reach top positions, networks
play a decisive role — they promote cooperation
as well as an exchange of knowledge.
However, networks shouldn’t be confused
with “good contacts.” Those are effective
on their own — without competence or
quality. I personally reject that.
“Fast Track” was a program for
female scientists aspiring to management
positions. How important is
the aspect that your alumni group
is exclusively female?
Thanks to the program, we have taken
part in first-rate seminars on negotiating
or the right way to handle crisis situations.
It‘s these collective experiences which
bring the alumni closer together and provide
a basis of trust for the future. In this
respect we want our alumni group to
remain exclusively female.
The “Fast Track” alumni meeting took
place in Bad Saarow from June 7 to 9.
What was the gathering all about?
On the one hand, the aim of the gathering
was an exchange between alumni from different
program cycles. Up until this point
every alumna only knew colleagues from
her own program cycle. On the other hand,
we were also given the opportunity to
dis cuss a collective vision. In doing so,
we considered what we need as a group,
what binds us and what we imagine for
the future.
What was your role in this process?
Together with other alumni, I took part in
both preliminary meetings: in Stuttgart in
May 2017 and in Berlin in October 2018.
I feel deeply connected to the “Fast Track”
program because it helped me to improve
my leadership abilities. That‘s why I want
to help shape our alumni work. And that
is also the reason I gave a speech on the
future of our subnetwork at our gathering
in Bad Saarow.
Alumni meeting
Nearly 100 former fellows from all
11 “Fast Track” program years came
together on a weekend in June 2018
in Bad Saarow to promote networking
across program cycles and determine
a common identity. As the first alumni
group in the science field within the
Bosch Alumni Network, they developed
collective visions and aims for
their subnetwork.
29

What were the specific results of the
meeting, what are the next steps?
At the meeting, the great potential of
ex change between alumni of different
program cycles was tangible. The majority
wants to get involved. That’s why we
decided to organize another meeting, in
Munich in late June 2019, where we will
discuss the options to establish an alumni
association. Furthermore, we have a group
on boschalumni.net where all the alumni
can exchange ideas and knowledge online.
I serve as the community manager.
How can an alumni network help to
bring more female scientists into leadership
positions?
A gathering like ours in Bad Saarow promotes
network culture and provides a good
basis for communication. After this type of
meeting, the fellow alumni and their skills
are fresh in one’s mind. Then it’s easier
to recommend them, since you’ve seen
their competence first-hand at a collective
meeting.
Together, the former
“Fast Track” fellows plan
the main topics of their
alumni network.
Whether in small
groups or in plenary:
nearly 100 alumni
collected ideas and
eagerly discussed
the future of their
community.
Photos: Anita Back
30

Glo b al
Lo
c
al
Eva Xiao
Our network members
live in more than 900
different cities around
the world. Connections
often begin at a local
is a freelance tech reporter
based in Shanghai. In 2016, she
received a scholarship within the
program “Media Ambassadors
level. Alumna Eva Xiao
China-Germany.”
explains how she got to
know a whole new side of
her home Shanghai after
participating in a Bosch
What is a Meet-Up?
An informal event that brings local network
The group of Bosch alumni
in Shanghai.
Alumni Network Meet-Up.
Like many of us in the group, I thought
I knew Shanghai. I have had soup dumplings
and strolled the tree-lined streets of
members together across various thematical
or interest areas. The agenda can vary
from a simple getting to know each other in
a bar or restaurant to a moderated talk or a
walking tour like in Shanghai.
Connect in a relaxed atmosphere
2–3 hours
During a guided tour, we inspected shikumen,
traditional lane-houses combining
Western and Chinese elements, and their
varying brickworks and styles, which — like
rings on a tree — revealed differences in
age. While passersbys stared at our mixed
the French Concession. However, while
5–50 participants
group of Chinese and foreigners with curio-
participating in a Bosch Alumni
in March 2018, I discovered the distinctive
architecture and lifestyle inside the winding
lilong neighbourhoods. Led by German
architect Fanny Hoffman-Loss from the
well-known agency Shanghai Flaneur, we
explored these typical Shanghainese residential
quarters where the buildings are
a mix of English terraces and traditional
Chinese houses with a courtyard.
Venue, program
Do you want to organize a Meet-Up in your
region or city? The interactive graphic on
p. 32 guides you through the process.
sity, our guide Fanny pointed out details
like the underground lobby of the Jinjiang
Hotel, which had slowly sunk into the soft
and muddy ground of Shanghai.
I was surprised to find out how diverse
the alumni network of the Robert Bosch
Stiftung was after chatting with the participants:
journalists, lawyers, academics,
photographers and more. Over a Sichuanstyle
dinner, discussions in a mix of Ger-
“I have been in Shanghai for more than
man, Chinese and English flowed easily.
ten years and appreciate the beauty of
“I learned about the gaming industry in
Photos: Eva Xiao, Jan Zappner
these historical buildings. Still, I always
saw them as just roadside scenery,” said
media ambassador alumna Jiang Yan.
However, through the lens of an architect,
she learned how the construction materials
of a building can reveal stories
about Shanghai’s past.
Peter Hergemöller is alumnus of the
“Lectureship Program in Asia.” Since
spring 2018, he is the regional coordinator
for China.
China and possible methods of meaningful
gamification in education,” reflected
Peter Hergemöller, one of the organizers of
the Meet-Up. “I collected at least as many
restaurant recommendations as business
cards. It is not just a professional network.
This is synergy in action.”
31

This Way to the Meet-Up!
The Bosch Alumni Network is active in over 100 countries all over the world.
Do you want to network with other alumni in your region? Our infographic shows
you the way to successfully organize a Bosch Alumni in your area.
You want to network with other
Bosch alumni in your city?
Search boschalumni.net to see if
there is already a meet-up in your
area!
Register!
Take part and meet
other alumni!
Organize the next
meet-up!
Is there a regional
coordinator for your
region?
Contact the
iac Berlin team for
support.
Find a date for the
meet-up!
Contact your
regional coordinator
for support.
Look for a location!

Do you have a topic?
Is it your
first meeting?
Do you want to
invite a guest?
Choose a topic from the
list from the first meeting!
Focus on community
building: get to
know each other!
Make a program and
prepare materials.
Discuss future topics
and make a list.
Find a suitable
member of the network on
boschalumni.net!
Meet and have fun!
Advertise on
boschalumni.net:
▶ Tag people in the
comment section.
▶ Post the event in
your regional group.
Content + concept: Nina Linkel | Illustration: Aileen Dietrich
Send a reminder with details
about location and time about
two days before the meet-up.

Knowledge Exchange
Thanks to the diversity of its members, the Bosch Alumni Network
holds a rich treasure trove of practical experience and expert knowledge.
That‘s why the team of the International Alumni Center supports
peer-to-peer learning and the exchange of knowledge and
experience between alumni across programs, groups and sectors.
This is made possible through different formats of exchange, trainings
or grants.
Which specific opportunities and formats for exchange exist?
How can I network with other alumni who live far away? How can
different generations of alumni learn from each other?

Would you Have Guessed...?
Our Bosch Alumni Network is large and holds more
than a few secrets and curiosities. We have collected
seven of them for you.
Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary
of State for Population, Refugees
and Migration under the last US president
Obama, and Denis McDonough, likewise
Chief of Staff under Obama, are Bosch
alumni. Anne was a fellow in the “Robert
Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program”
from 1985 to 1986, and Denis was a fellow
of the same program from 1999 to 2000.
The Robert Bosch GmbH logo depicts
a double-T armature — also known as a
rotor — which is used in electric motors and
generators. It consists of two mirrored
iron cores in a T-shape, wrapped in a coil.
The three most common Google automatic
completions of the sentence
“Networks are...:” “important,” “key for migrants
to find jobs,” and “the new currency.”
Robert Bosch was the first industrialist
to introduce the 8-hour day
for his workers.
The employees of the Robert Bosch
Stiftung harvest the apples from
the foundation headquarters garden in
Stuttgart for a good cause.
30 network members registered on
boschalumni.net share the first name
“Robert” or international versions such as
“Roberto” or “Bob.”
The brewery of our alumnus Brian
Trauth offers four types of beer:
“Thronfolger” (heir to the throne), “Nachtschwärmer”
(night owl), “Poor but Hoppy”
and “Elektroweizen.”
Text: iac Berlin | Illustration: Francesca Cogni
36

Connecting Network
Members
Alumni Simone Helmschrott and Farouk Bahri first met in 2016 at the “European
Forum – Active Citizenship” and quickly made plans for an exchange
format between German and Tunisian teachers. To plan their venture in person,
they received a
. Here, Farouk tells their story:
What are Learning Exchange
Grants?
Small travel grants that support deepen-
As a Tunisian academic in the field of
education, I am working to overhaul my
country‘s education system. To improve
the training of schoolteachers concerning
performance and flexible learning meth
ods, we seek to develop partnerships
on an international scale. In this context,
Baden-Württemberg in order to set up this
cross-cultural ex change. In particular, I
had the chance to meet a variety of people,
from religious scholars to members of the
Muslim community of Stuttgart. We discussed
the challenges faced by post-revolutionary
Tunisia and their effect on education
ing connections with other network
members via
Learning Partnerships (visiting individuals
working on similar topics but in
different locations).
Partner Learning Events (travelling
to relevant, alumni organized events).
Simone and I developed the idea for an
in the country. Furthermore, the exchange
Applications can be made several times
exchange program between German and
on multiculturalism gave me a better un-
a year via the call on boschalumni.net.
Tunisian student teachers with the focus
on multicultural diversity and the objective
of establishing a sustainable partnership.
To visit Simone in Stuttgart, I applied for
a Learning Exchange Grant. The resulting
three-day stay in June 2018 allowed us to
launch our project. I multiplied my contacts
with various institutions in the State of
derstanding on the place of Islam there.
However, the key meeting was with
Dr. Verena Raissa Bodenbender, head of
the International Office of the University
of Education Freiburg. We sent her a first
proposal of our project and began the first
steps towards the implementation
of our exchange program.
Gain practical knowledge and new
perspectives from others, discover
new methods and practices
1–4 days
1–3 people for a partnership/up to
10 for an event
Find a partner via the “skill” or “event
search” on boschalumni.net
The grants in numbers
After the first two calls for Learning
Exchange Grants in spring and sum-
Photo: Farouk Bahri
Farouk Bahri is an alumnus of the “Theodor-Heuss-
Kolleg.” He teaches at the Institute for Educational
Sciences in Zaghouan, Tunesia, where he trains
future schoolteachers.
Simone Helmschrott is an alumna of the “Lecture-
ship Program.” She currently works at the State
Ministry of Baden-Württemberg in the field of non-
Christian religions and minorities.
mer 2018, 39 alumni from 28 different
countries and 20 different programs
were selected for 25 Learning Partnerships
and 14 Partner Learning Events.
37

The Social Innovation Summit is a two-day international event that addresses relevant topics
in the field of social innovation and social entrepreneurship. “ChangemakerXchange” alumnus
Joshua Musasizi received a grant for visiting the event and left us with his impressions.
Three questions for Joshua
Why did you want to participate
in the Social Innovation Summit
2018?
Because I am a social entrepreneur
from Uganda, my major aim was to
tap into the European social entrepreneurship
ecosystem. I wanted
to meet renowned social entrepreneurs
to learn from their experiences
and, possibly, get advice for our
Icon-project, “The Farmer’s Market
Technology,” on how to connect rural
smallholder farmers to the market
using technology.
What was the top lesson you
learned from the Summit?
I learned that scaling a concept,
rather than scaling an organization
requires a major mindset shift in
the social entrepreneurship sector.
I also learned that systems change
starts by debunking conventional
wisdoms in an evidence-based way.
What surprised you at the
Summit?
My biggest surprise was the opportunity
to reconnect with fellows and
alumni of “ChangemakerXchange.”
For example, the Social Innovation
Academy of fellow Etienne Salborn
is giving skills to the vulnerable
youth and turning them into social
entrepreneurs, which really amazed
me. We agreed to help one another
by strengthening our existing projects
through sharing ideas.
Joshua is the co-founder of the social entrepreneurship
platform “The Icon Group” that
offers experiential learning and inspiration
to the start-up scene in East Africa.
Susanne Kitlinski is an alumna of the
“Lectureship Program.” She is an entrepreneur
with a focus on fundraising, social
entrepreneurship and education for sustainable
development. Here she reports
in images and text on the ideas she took
home from the Social Innovation Summit
2018:
“In her keynote speech, ‘Systems Entrepreneurship,’
Katherine Milligan (director
and head of the Schwab Foundation for
Alumni of “ChangemakerXchange” in Stuttgart.
Social Entrepreneurship) illuminated the
systematic approach for social entrepreneurs
with exact precision. She pro posed
that, assuming every system is composed
of elements, connections and a purpose,
small organizations and businesses can
also contribute to a systematic change.
Personally, I was particularly interested in
the question of which concrete courses of
action we can utilize to do so. I captured
these in my graphic recording as five insights.“
Interview: Nina Linkel | Photo: Joshua Musasizi | Illustration: Susanne Kitlinski
38

Work and Meaning
At the 9th
, representatives from administration, civil society
and business came together near Berlin in order to discuss the meaning of work
in times of globalization and digitalization, as well as to collaborate on their own
ideas for “new work.”
Nina Linkel
is an alumna of the
“Lectureship Program”
and editor of this
magazine.
What is the BoschAlumniForum?
A participatory format in which network
Alexandra (right) at the
coding workshop.
members discuss a socially relevant topic,
counsel each other on a peer-to-peer basis
and network both personally and professio-
Friday afternoon — it is so hot that the
Alexandra, alumna of the “Freiwilligen-
nally. The hosting organization contributes
air above the tarmac shimmers as the MS
kolleg,” sums up the mood: “Here every-
its own challenges from its local context.
John Franklin casts off from a pier in the
thing revolves around purpose. Around
Each year two editions take place — a Ger-
vicinity of Potsdam’s central station. On
finding motivation and inspiration to get
Photos: Nina Linkel, Joceline Acevedo
man-language event and an international
one in Europe.
Personal and professional exchange,
developing new ideas
3 days
30–50 participants with diverse professional
backgrounds
Hosting organization, impact place
board, over 40 Bosch alumni are roasting
in the sun on Thai mats. It doesn’t take
long before the ship drops anchor to allow
for the long-awaited jump into the refreshing
Havel River. The mood is high-spirited.
Passengers talk with old acquaintances
or go below deck, where they quickly
start conversations with other alumni while
eating cherry cake, quiche and pineapple
at the Swabian-Mediterranean buffet.
involved. Getting this confirmation from
other participants, that it’s worthwhile to
do something for society.”
In the meantime, the sun is low. The alumni
sail up the Havel towards the small town of
Paretz. On the ship, self-service is the order
of the day; when it’s time for the ship to
dock, alumni lend a helping hand — the lines
between organizers and participants blur.
39

The special “encounter
culture” makes this setting
a so-called impact
place. One feels at home from the very
beginning. In this way, the campus of the
Helga Breuninger Foundation is more
than an event location for the 9th edition
of the BoschAlumniForum. The format
was developed by the association MitOst
and has been carried out in cooperation
with the International Alumni Center (iac
Berlin) since 2017. Beyond the special
location, the participatory design of the
three-day program, which provides formats
for exchange and open spaces for
reflection, also plays an important role in
en abling network members to effectively
work together.
Every edition of the Forum is dedicated to
a current societal topic. This year everything
centers on the question of how we
want to work in the future. “I studied political
science and am among the lucky people
who were able to turn their hobby
into a job,” says Alexandra, Policy Officer
for Issues concerning the Federal Government
and the Federal States in the Scientific
Authority in Hamburg. Before the start
of her career, she never thought she would
be able to turn her passion for politics into
a living. On this June weekend, she is
Impact places
Just like the iac Berlin Community
Space ( p.44), Paretz is among
the network of impact places which
is being developed worldwide, where
participants are treated as guests
and the unique atmosphere fosters
transformation processes. The Bosch-
AlumniForum took place there for the
second time. More than 40 former fellows
of the Robert Bosch Stiftung from
14 different programs and 7 different
countries participated.
therefore eager to talk about the purpose
of work with other alumni.
The working world is in upheaval: since people
feel more and more alienated from work,
disorders like burnout and depression
have been on the rise. In order to experience
work in a meaningful way against this
complex background, scientist Dr. Friedericke
Hardering presents concepts of new
work in her keynote speech on Saturday
morning. For instance, there‘s the model
of “mixed work,” according to which our
entire work should consist of one quarter
each of gainful, self-subsistence, community
and personal work.
After this theoretical, discursive introduction
to the concept of work, the alumni
spend the afternoon in small groups, trying
out new types of work: they develop
an entrepreneurial model according to the
principle of self-organization, which is
based on group intelligence and dispersed
leadership. They learn how to program a
mini computer and use the method of systemic
consensus to improve group decisionmaking
processes.
In a Pro Action Café on Sunday, the alumni
have the opportunity to discuss their own
ideas and to find new partners.
“Here cooperation prevails in stead
of competition. People want to
create something together and
drive it forward,”
is how Alexandra describes the atmosphere.
A fair number of projects have come
about from it, such as local meet-ups in
Vienna and in the Rhineland, a peer-to-peer
counselling for women or a conceptional
design for a social insurance for solofreelancers.
In the weeks and months
ahead, the alumni will be implementing
these and many more ideas.
The ideas gathered at
the Pro Action Café are
then discussed in the
plenary meeting.
Photo: Nina Linkel
40

Dialog Between Generations
There have been 50 years
since the first group of
Bosch alumni and today’s
alumni. The conversation
between Susanne Klüber
and Christian Mihr shows
that you can still remain
connected across the
generations, as they talk
about what it means to
be alumni and the significance
of networks.
Christian Mihr
Susanne Klüber
was a lecturer in Rostov-on-
was a fellow of the “Lecture-
Don (Russia) from 2005 to
ship Program” in Shenyang
2006, where the “Lecture-
(China) from 2015 to 2017
Photos: Christian Mihr, Moritz Ehl
Christian, you were a fellow of the
“Lectureship Program” at a university
in Rostov-on-Don. How would your life
be different today if you hadn‘t been
a Bosch lecturer?
Without the lectureship I would know
less about Russia. I had already studied in
Chile and worked in Ecuador beforehand,
but without the lectureship I wouldn‘t
have any focus whatsoever on Russia as
a region. Thanks to that, my horizon has
broadened. It‘s no coincidence that I work
in a globally active organization with the
words “without borders” in its title.
How did you stay in touch with your
colleagues after the lectureship?
The contact was very personal, via Facebook
and personal meetings. Sporadically
I kept in touch with students of mine in
Rostov, who have become part of my
professional network.
ship Program“ was active
until 2017. He is now CEO
of Reporters Without
Borders.
What do networks mean to you
personally?
Trust and a high prioritization of inquiries
that I get from other people from the
network. I know that other generations of
lecturers have had experiences similar
to mine. That connects us, we talk “among
ourselves.”
In your opinion, how has the alumni
network of the Robert Bosch Stiftung
evolved since you were an alumnus?
There is of course a broader choice for
alumni with the establishment of the
and is currently a trainee in
the management program
of the Federal Employment
Agency.
International Alumni Center. I am not aware
of any other foundations that recognize
what a treasure their alumni truly are. I also
feel much closer to the Bosch network —
for instance, I am often asked for contacts,
which I also preferably pass on to other
alumni.
What advice would you give to current
fellows and future Bosch alumni?
Don‘t think too much about the future,
enjoy the time now, during your fellowship.
Don‘t let yourself be intimidated and be
glad that you are part of this great network!
41

42

Prototyping
The team of the International Alumni Center has piloted numerous
event formats within the Bosch Alumni Network. These are tested
and refined in collaboration with the alumni. A laboratory for practitioners,
a training, a discussion panel, a series of webinars and an
online video conference are available as piloted formats and can be
adapted by members of the network.
Why is a red sofa used for
suitable for the
books for ?
? Which cases are
? And do you really have to hit the

See You on Monday!
The event series
invites alumni
to monthly discussion panels in the Community
Space of the International Alumni Center. In March
2018, network members discussed the Italian
parliamentary elections.
Lisa Richter
Italian elections: the
panelists Jean-Michel
Hauteville (left) and
Julia Amberger (right)
together with moderator
Frank Baasner (in the
middle).
It is Monday, March 5, 2018. The previous
evening, Italy voted in the country’s
general elections. The vote: populist to
radical. The results: government formation
unclear. While the social democratic government
led by party leader Matteo Renzi is
being punished, the xenophobic party
“Lega Nord” and the anti-establishment
movement instigated by the comedian
Beppe Grillo, “MoVimento 5 Stelle“ (Five-
Star-Movement) received the most votes.
What do the results mean for the future of
Italy as the fourth largest national economy
of the European Union? And how can this
majority voting behavior be explained?
To discuss these questions the Bosch
Alumni Network invited those interested to
the iac Berlin Community Space. Around
20 Berlin-based network members were
in attendance. Seated on chairs or cardboard
stools, drink or no drink in hand,
Photo: Joceline Acevedo
44

A place with impact
The iac Berlin Community Space is available
to network members who need a space
for ideas or their own events. A wide range
of event formats — such as workshops,
po dium discussions, closed conferences
or receptions – can be organized here.
Seeking to facilitate encounters in a special
way and promote sustainable cooperation
between people, it is part of a series of
other impact places, such as Paretz, where
this year’s BoschAlumniForum took place
( p. 39).
Information about the space and
booking is available at:
www.communityspace-berlin.org
Monday on the Couch on crisis management
in April 2018: Moderator Charlotte Watermann
together with the panelists.
they focus their gaze on the small, taste-
describe the attitudes of politicians and
fully lit podium.
the media towards refugees and report
Photos: Jan Zappner, Nina Linkel
What is Monday on the Couch?
A discussion format within the Bosch
Alumni Network. One Monday each month,
we invite experts from our network to the
iac Berlin Community Space to discuss a
current political or societal topic. After the
formal discussion, there is time to continue
the conversation over drinks.
Knowledge exchange about a
current topic
2–3 hours
2 guests, 1 moderator, audience
Venue with seating, red couch
Are you interested in organizing
a Monday on the Couch event?
Please send an email to
info@boschalumni.net.
Seated on the red couch is Frank Baasner,
Professor of Romance Studies and Director
of the German-French Institute in Ludwigsburg.
In the scope of the Bosch Alumni
Network, Baasner organized a study tour
over several days which took a group of
20 journalists to the north Italian region of
Emilia-Romagna before the election.Two
study tour participants are sitting next to
him: freelance journalist Julia Amberger
and Handelsblatt correspondent Jean-
Michel Hauteville, both alumni of the “German-French
Exchange Program for Young
Journalists” and experts on Germany,
Italy and France.
For the kick-off of the event series
, everything centers on the
topic of “Italy post-election.” Together, the
three speakers share their impressions,
on the rampant lack of prospects, particularly
for the young people, many of whom
they met with during the study tour. Hands
are raised, network members ask questions.
Later, the buffet is opened and the
lively exchange continues at the counter
and around smaller tables.
And in Italy? The exploratory poker round
has just begun. Its temporary end will only
come into sight months later, when the
radical right-wing party “Lega Nord” and
the populist “MoVimento 5 Stelle” finally
agree on a coalition under Prime Minister
Giuseppe Conte. What this substantial
change of direction means for Italy‘s role
in the European Union is still unknown —
perhaps this is an issue to be discussed
at one of the following “Mondays on the
Couch.”
45

A Laboratory for the
Network
Mila Corlăteanu
is a journalist based in
Chișinău and alumna of
the program “Medien-
Mittler zwischen den
Völkern.”
The two Bosch alumni Valeria Șvarț-Gröger and
Julian Gröger are working with their team to build
a sustainable rural community in Moldova. In April
2018, they invited other alumni to their village, to
tackle this challenge by drawing from the wealth
of experience and professional competence of
the network members.
Photo: Gabriela Isac
The participants of
the PractitionersLab
together with the project
initiators Valeria
(second from the right)
and Julian (at the
bottom, seventh from
the right).
46

“We want to make a positive
contribution to the development
of the local economy and to the
sustainability of community life
within the village,”
explain Valeria and Julian when asked
about the objective of their local initiative
Eco-Village Moldova in Rîșcova. In the
village itself, a sewer system is still under
construction, roads are in bad shape,
streetlights are missing. However, limited
infrastructure fades in comparison with
the main problem: young people in Rîșcova
have limited access to culture, sports and
education. Some move to bigger cities
to obtain a higher school education, others
desperately search for job offers in EU
countries and Russia. Young mothers leave
their children with grandparents to follow
promises and engage in cheap labor. The
missing generation and these missing
mothers are typical for the periphery in
most Eastern European countries – the
remittances sent yearly by working migrants
represent 30% of Moldova’s GDP.
Still, Rîșcova is different from other villages.
In 2015, Valeria and Julian moved
there with a group of enthusiasts of their
co-funded NGO EcoVisio aiming to create
an eco-community based on sustainable
development and social entrepreneurship.
“Due to this initiative we’ve got a solar fruit
dehydrator and a bicycle parking station.
Locals can earn money at construction
jobs, host visitors and sell their products,”
Tatiana Ciobanu, one of Rîșcova’s 1,250
residents, says proudly.
One would think a large budget would be
necessary for a project of this scale, but
apparently not.“Stay small, but care about
the quality of products and services,”
advises Anca Dalmasso, one of 20 participants
of the Bosch Alumni Network. At the
The initiators
Valeria Șvarț-Gröger, alumna of the
“Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg,” and Julian
Gröger, alumnus of the “Lectureship
Program,” are the co-founders of the
Moldavian NGO “EcoVisio.” Within
their local initiative “Eco-Village
Moldova” they strive for a more sustainable
lifestyle and are committed
to building an organically evolving
eco-community in the village of
Rîșcova, Moldova.
For more information check
out www.ecovisio.org
What is the
PractitionersLab?
A laboratory to tackle specific challenges
with the support of colleagues.
One network member invites a group
of profes sionals on site to exchange
know ledge around a certain case,
gain insights at first hand and work on
solutions together.
Receive direct support and find
solutions to specific challenges
3–4 days
12–20 participants, 1 host
Case, venue, accommodation,
catering, facilitation
You have a specific case and want
to host a PractitionersLab? Send
an email to info@boschalumni.net.
invitation of the International Alumni Center
(iac Berlin) and EcoVisio they gathered
on-site for a
to support
the ecovillage by giving advice for a strategic
rural development. Anca came to share
the story of her small family business that
has grown into a brand with value added
products. Her guesthouse in Transylvanian
Saschiz and her homemade jams do not
even need promotion anymore, because
they are selling like hotcakes.
“Don’t focus on monetization only! The capacity
of a local community can be strengthened
in a non-commercial way,” states
Stefan Raabe from Landkombinat, who is
committed to reclaiming land in Gatschow,
a small village in Mecklenburg, Western
Pomerania. He arrived at Rîșcova two days
earlier than the rest, to focus on a special
mission: transferring juice production technology
to the ecovillage. Out of 100 kilograms
of apple harvest in autumn, villagers
will receive about 70 liters of highly nutricious,
fresh juice.
Walking through Rîșcova the members
of the network noticed the potential of the
village. They visited several households
and talked to the farmers. Instead of be -
coming bitter, people who remained are
welcoming and openhearted. “Find a story
or create your own one and tourists will
be keen to discover Rîșcova with its unspoilt
nature, traditions and specialities,”
enthused Alin Ușeriu Uhlmann. That is
exactly what he did 15 years ago when he
founded the NGO Tășuleasa Social that
supports the reforestation in the Carpathian
Mountains. Today it counts thousands
of volunteers who not only care
about the forests around them, but feel
proud to live in this beautiful region.
After three days of intensive analysis, it was
high time to “open the gate” and invite residents
to the EcoVisio-home
47

for a neighborhood event to
discuss together how Rîșcova
could become a better place. Ten poten -
tial projects were presented in a row.
The adults voted in favor of streetlights.
The children who could vote separately
choose a youth and sports club with indoor
facilities.
But it isn’t only the result that mattered.
This was the first “villagers assembly” in
the history of Rîșcova. EcoVisio took over
the role of a placemaker that inspired the
locals to collectively reimagine and reinvent
their village and, thereby, create a
supportive rural community. Valeria and
Julian are grateful for this experiment:
“We need to grow into the village
and become a part of the existing
structure. Now we have a list of
plans and we cannot wait to implement
them. Of course, it will be
possible only together with the
village community.”
Gardening together:
a substantial part of this
Lab on rural development.
Analysis of potentials in
Rîșcova: Anca Dalmasso,
Volker Reiter and a local
resident mapping social
actors in the village.
Photos: Gabriela Isac
48

The Wind of Change
Not everything in life goes according to plan – and
that’s no different in international projects. In order to
prepare our alumni for crisis situations, a comprehensive
training workshop was carried out in April 2018.
Political pressure, a heightened secu-
Project management in the
“wind of change”
The seven-day training on international
project management in times of crisis
took place at the iac Berlin Community
Space in April 2018. 17 alumni from
14 different programs and 11 different
countries took part. They expanded their
knowledge in the three modules “change
management,” “negotiation analysis” and
“budgeting.”
rity situation or extreme weather conditions
can cause even the best planned projects
to falter. It’s precisely these types of
situations that formed the kick-off point
for the first edition of .
The two alumni Charlotte Watermann
and Karola Reiter organized this training
format according to the participatory
principle “by alumni for alumni,” which
is why they were also participants at the
same time. In three topic-based sessions,
the members of the Bosch Alumni Net-
What is Back to School?
A training for network members. The
learning design is based on two pillars:
Input from and workshop with
experts.
Sharing experience and knowledge
among the participants.
Afterwards, the participants share their
insights with the network in videos, podcasts,
texts or infographics.
work shared their experiences in dealing
with challenges encountered in their own
Learn from each other, knowledge
growth
projects and learned practical solutions
from experts in order to be better prepared
for crisis situations in the future.
3–4 days
12–20 participants, 1–2 experts in
the field, 1–2 organizers
It is late afternoon; for one and a half days
the participants have been dealing with
Venue, program & facilitation,
accommodation, catering
“negotiation analysis.” Julia is an alumna
Photos: Jan Zappner, Karola Reiter, Nina Linkel
Karola Reiter and Charlotte Watermann
are alumni of “SivilLAB.” Karola works in
social urban development and coordinates
an education network in Berlin. Charlotte
works in the area of international cooperation
and sustainable urban planning for GIZ
in Algeria.
of the program “Cultural Managers from
Central and Eastern
Europe.” She is organizing
a festival for
media arts and supports
civil initiatives
with urban development
projects in the
Ukrainian city Dnipro.
In particular, she faces
the challenge of how
to involve passive citizens and bring them
into dialogue with the city administration.
When asked what she likes best about the
training, she immediately answers: “The
mixture of theory and practice! That helps
me get the most out of the sessions. And
that‘s why I don’t feel so overwhelmed by
the amount of information we receive.” A
practical example is given by workshop
leader Sebastian Litta: in the context of
the bankruptcy case of the drugstore chain
Schlecker, participants are supposed to
take on the roles of politicians from different
parties and negotiate over the founding
of rescue companies for employees.
And what did Julia learn after the many
roleplaying sessions? “Now I can present
myself more confidently when I have to
negotiate and defend my own interests.
After doing so many exercises, now I have
a structured plan in the back of my head.”
Input from the experts is one aspect. But
the concept of the training deliberately
relies on the knowledge of the
49

participants, as they draw on their own
work experience to contribute to the
training.
“We come from a wide variety of
disciplines and that means that
we can offer different perspectives
to solve problems. That
helps me to anticipate challenges
in my projects,”
stresses Amro, alumnus
of “Changemaker-
Xchange” and executive
director of a
North African NGO
that fosters youth
development
through education.
The competence of the network members
is a valuable resource, which is
incorporated into the learning design. In
recurring discussion rounds, the alumni
themselves are asked to contribute their
experiences. After the training Julia,
Amro and the other alumni will transform
what they’ve learned into a toolkit
to make the knowledge accessible to
all the members of the Bosch Alumni
Network. This sustainable utilization of
resources and the multiplying effect is
unique to this format.The combination
of exchanging personal experiences and
the input of experts is successful. When
asked what he will take away from the
training, Amro answers enthusiastically:
The participants
roleplaying.
Cycle of change: Alumni
collecting ideas about
crisis management.
“A bag full of ideas and methods —
and a one-of-a-kind network.”
Photos: Karola Reiter, Nina Linkel
50

Any further questions,
ideas, suggestions?
Send an email to
info@boschalumni.net!

www.boschalumni.net