Uniting Alumni Leaders Across Continents: The New Era of the Alumni Leaders Academy Global Sessions #4
September 29, 2025
In the fourth session of the Alumni Leaders Academy Global, the spotlight turned to Europe: a region with two decades of alumni legacy, transformation, and deep-rooted collaboration. Hosted by JA Worldwide Alumni Community Manager, Dana Khairallah, the session brought together inspirational voices and a wide showcase of European alumni networks, past and present.
These sessions are held by invitation only for alumni leaders and engaged alumni network staff who are actively shaping the future of their regional communities. For everyone else eager to follow along, our blog posts offer a glimpse into the conversations, milestones, and energy driving alumni leadership across JA Worldwide.
With leading alumni voices, Mohamed and Rayan from INJAZ Palestine, anchoring the session's theme, “Leadership Through Change,” the event carried a powerful message: adaptability isn't just a skill, it's a lifeline.
Leading Alumni Voices
Mohamed shared how his journey began as a university student with no clear direction until the JA Student Company Program sparked a transformation. That idea turned into SafeTech, a real company that went on to win the PMI Excellence Project Management Award after representing Palestine at the 2023 YEC in Qatar.
Rayan's story echoed a similar pivot: from an uncertain student to a national finalist in the CABM program and, eventually, the founder of her own real estate investment agency. What both stories shared was how adaptability in the face of unpredictability, roadblocks, resource scarcity, grief, and political tension became their superpower.
The two have since channeled their lived experience into leading the INJAZ Palestine Alumni Community, launching initiatives such as Ramadan Solidarity, Smart Online, and Safe Offline for digital safety, and full-fledged training programs such as “Innovate and Elevate” and “Start Smart,” which have reached over 1,200 students.
Their closing remarks weren’t just a reflection on resilience; they were a masterclass in adaptive leadership. As Dana said in her wrap-up, “Adaptability is not a soft skill, it’s a necessary skill. And in many parts of the world, it’s not taught, it’s lived."
A Region with Roots: The Story of JA Alumni Europe
From lived adaptability to historic longevity, the session then shifted to a regional showcase featuring JA Alumni Europe. With a legacy dating back to 2004, Europe stands as the longest-running JA alumni network.
Andrea, who previously served as Vice President of JA Alumni Europe, opened the segment with a warm walkthrough of the network’s history, from its early days of informal meetups to hosting major conferences such as the JA Global Alumni Conference and the Alumni Leaders Academy in Luxembourg.
"We’re not just connecting countries. We’re connecting visions."
JA Alumni Europe operates on four pillars: Networking, Career Growth, Leadership Development, and Entrepreneurial Acceleration, all of which were reflected in the presentations to follow.
Local Spotlights: What Europe Has Been Building
The spotlight shifted to a continent-wide showcase co-led by Mohamed and Izaak, who facilitated a rich exchange of stories, challenges, and ambitious plans from alumni leaders across Europe. The mic was passed to leaders from across Europe for country-by-country highlights:
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
Jules took the stage to reflect on a decade of alumni leadership in Luxembourg. He emphasized the small country’s outsized impact through collaborations with neighboring countries like Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Portugal. Recently hosting the JA Alumni Leaders Academy, the Luxembourg network has made it clear that size does not limit influence. Their focus remains on consistent inter-country partnerships and thought-provoking local events that connect alumni with founders, executives, and policy changemakers.
🇫🇷 France
In his dual role, Mohamed, shared that France is in a strategic transition phase. The merging of EPA France and 100,000 Entrepreneurs brings both challenge and opportunity. While navigating this change, the French alumni network is creating a new alumni-led legal entity and laying the groundwork for local events every 2 months across departments. These gatherings aim to reintroduce face-to-face engagement, grow grassroots momentum, and invite past alumni to rejoin the fold.
🇵🇱 Poland
Barbara brought infectious energy as she spoke about the birth and fast growth of JA Alumni Poland. Launched in 2024, the chapter hit the ground running with a mentorship and training initiative for Company Program students. The pilot edition saw 4 out of 5 teams reach the finals, creating early proof of impact. She highlighted collaborations with Cyprus and plans to build a consistent pipeline of support and engagement for young entrepreneurs.
🇪🇺 Greece
Giorgos shared a heartfelt update from Greece, where the alumni community is undergoing a strong revival. After a quiet period, the Greek network is back in action and will co-host GEN-E 2025 alongside JA Greece. Georgios spoke of their participation in expos, national finals, and their plans to elect a formal board to ensure sustainability. The tone was hopeful and energetic, emphasizing alumni visibility and involvement across JA events.
🇲🇹 Malta & Cyprus
Representing a cross-border initiative by JA Alumni Malta and JA Alumni Cyprus, Izaak spoke about the synergy between these two island nations. He spotlighted a recent exchange in Malta where 11 alumni from Cyprus, including Stephanie, participated in a cultural and strategic alumni weekend. The collaboration began earlier with a cross-country meetup in Platres and is evolving into something bigger: an inter-island alliance that hopes to one day open up to global alumni.
One standout idea was the launch of a Malta Alumni Podcast, introduced as a space for alumni across Europe and beyond to share stories, ideas, and collaborations. Izaak invited attendees to contribute to future episodes, making the podcast a collective platform for JA alumni voices worldwide.
🇬🇧 Estonia
Laura shared the network’s ambition to be a launchpad for future-ready youth. They are focusing on increasing alumni visibility and working closely with the JA Estonia office to integrate alumni into mentorship and program delivery. While their structure is still emerging, they emphasized building long-term credibility and being part of the broader JA ecosystem as role models and partners.
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Açelya and Sila from Türkiye framed their work as a reunion and rebirth. After facing some periods of inactivity, the alumni network is now prioritizing reconnection. One of their standout initiatives is “Disconnect to Connect,” which encourages digital detox events for deeper relationship-building. They are also exploring bilateral partnerships with networks in France, Germany, and Luxembourg to co-create experiences that cross national boundaries.
🇩🇪 Germany
Liv from the German alumni network closed out the showcase with stories of startup weekends, holiday exchanges, and a consistent culture of collaboration. Their structure supports both entrepreneurial projects and community bonding. They’re establishing new traditions like alumni holiday meetups and international project teams, positioning Germany as both a hub and a connector within the broader European alumni space.
What’s Next for JA Alumni Europe?
This rich mosaic of updates reflected not just activity, but intentionality: each chapter is shaping its own narrative while contributing to the shared story of JA Alumni Europe. Whether reigniting old networks or launching bold new projects, Europe’s alumni are doing more than representing their countries, they’re building bridges, platforms, and futures together.
The showcase ended with energy, strategy, and a celebration of 20+ years of regional alumni leadership. The message was clear: Europe isn’t just maintaining momentum, it’s scaling it across borders.
As the session wrapped, Dana reminded everyone:
"You can’t build a future alone. But together, with history and adaptability on your side, you can build a legacy."
Global Updates: What’s Next
As with every Alumni Leaders Academy Global session, the energy doesn’t end with the spotlight. The virtual Networking Rooms remain open for attendees eager to connect with fellow changemakers, start new collaborations, or brainstorm cross-border initiatives.
Up next, we’ll be moving to a new region for the fifth and final stop in this year’s global leadership journey, the Middle East and North African Region.
Until then, keep growing, keep connecting, and keep leading!