RSM’s alumni network offers different pathways for connection, so everyone can find a community that fits them. The Diaspora Alumni Chapters are a new way for internationally minded graduates living in the Netherlands to connect, celebrate shared backgrounds, and build meaningful relationships. They exist in parallel with RSM’s international Alumni Chapters for alumni all over the world, and industry-specific chapters. Alumni now have more opportunities to connect based on what matters most to them.
There are currently five Diaspora Chapters:
- Chilean alumni in the Netherlands
- Indian alumni in the Netherlands
- Iranian alumni in the Netherlands
- Latin American alumni in the Netherlands
- PrivetRSM: MBA Russian-speakers
Communities in the pipeline
New communities are in the pipeline – such as the Community for Asian alumni in the Netherlands, which held a launch event for more than 100 alumni and students on campus at RSM in May. Their plans for developing their community are underway and several alumni have already volunteered as chapter leaders. They are being supported by the alumni office as the plans take shape.
A home away from home
Alumni Relations Manager Alice Eekman says: “The launch of new Diaspora Chapters in the Netherlands strengthens our global network. They are dedicated spaces for international alumni who have chosen to build their lives and careers in the Netherlands, and the communities they create offer alumni a ‘home away from home’ – a place to connect with others who share a language, heritage, culture, or connection to the same country or region.”
The new Netherlands-based Diaspora Chapters bring this same spirit of connection closer to home, supporting international alumni who remain in the Netherlands after graduation, and reflect the increasingly global nature of the RSM alumni network.
New country, new network
Moving abroad to study, and then to work as many RSM graduates do, can mean building a new professional and personal network from scratch.
For example, the MSc Employment report 2025 shows that international students who are attracted to studying at RSM are also likely to find the Netherlands an attractive place to work – many of them stay in the country to begin their careers. More than half – 52 per cent – of graduates of RSM’s master’s programmes who come from outside of the EEA are employed in the Netherlands after they graduate.
RSM’s MBA programmes are high level studies that prepare people for leadership positions. The vast majority of MBA students – 99 per cent – are internationals and a large proportion, 80 per cent of graduates, get jobs in the Netherlands.
A familiar space
For these professionals working and living in the Netherlands, the new Diaspora Chapters provide a familiar space where they can celebrate their culture, traditions, language, and shared experiences. The Diaspora Chapters help international graduates stay connected to their roots while building connections in their new Dutch home. The diaspora chapters add another dimension to the growing range of alumni communities available in the Netherlands.
Information from the communities and alumni themselves:
The Community for Latin American alumni in the Netherlands was one of the first Diaspora Chapters, with its launch event in September 2025. Chapter leaders are Viktor Schwarz (MSc Supply Chain Management 2023); Maria Cueva (MBA 2026); Bruno Weitz (MBA 2017); and Hugo A. Valdivia (MBA 2013). They explained why Diaspora Chapters fulfil a need:
“How can we live abroad without a home community? That’s the question many of us asked ourselves the moment we decided to move away and start building a future in the Netherlands. Usually, we eventually find our ‘tribe’ and settle into our new routine. However, we often wonder if there are more people out there who truly understand our culture, our Latino warmth, and who have experienced Dutch life in different ways.
Hearing enriching stories
“When it comes to navigating a new country, there is no such thing as ‘having enough information’. It’s always enriching to hear more stories and experiences from others; they give us the perspective we need to make the best decisions. Sometimes we forget that, as foreigners, we are in a constant state of learning, and having a community is essential to feeling supported along the way.
“But building a community is not always easy – and becoming an active part of one can be just as challenging. This was why we decided to take the first step toward creating a space for Latin Americans living in the Netherlands. We believe that sharing experiences across different cultures makes our journey more complete and, little by little, builds that much-needed sense of belonging.”
Even if you graduated 30 years ago…
For Russian-speaking MBA alumni, the PrivetRSM community is led by Artem Rochev (MBA 2025) and Maxim Svyatov (MBA 2023). They explained why a Diaspora Chapter is important to them – and to alumni who graduated 30 years ago: “The major value of an MBA is the connections you build, and during our MBA journey we saw how language brings people together. But Russian speakers are usually just 1–2 per cent of a cohort, so those circles stayed small. We flipped the idea and decided to create a community where people across MBA and EMBA cohorts could connect. Both of us come from different cohorts ourselves – which give living proof of the idea!
“We are especially proud that our community brings together different generations of RSM MBA alumni. Our members include people who graduated from the programme more than 30 years ago, as well as very recent graduates.
“Our rule from Day One was to be united by language, not by country of origin. It started with simple drinks in Rotterdam. Since then, we have kept trying new formats — arcade nights, speaker sessions, a lakeside picnic, and we have a boat trip coming up. But the best part is watching people connect across cohorts, meeting new people and building stronger bonds. Some participants even travel from outside the Netherlands to join our events – that’s one of the things that keeps us moving forward.”
Emil Adigyozalov (EMBA 2011), originally from Azerbaijan and now living in the Netherlands, attended the PrivetRSM meetings for Russian speakers: “It's great to have an opportunity to get together and communicate in your native language with people from different countries, including those who are learning Russian. The organisation is excellent, the people are nice, and it’s a very cool experience. I hope we'll get back together soon."
Visiting the Netherlands? Everyone welcome
Katsyarina Pakhomava (MBA 2020) is originally from Belarus and now lives in Luxembourg where she’s one of the leaders of the alumni chapter there. She attended a PrivetRSM event last year when she was visiting the Netherlands and said: "It’s a super initiative, the guys did a great job. The meeting was even at the weekend, so you could visit from another country, as I did. It was a great afternoon with great people."
To find out more about the RSM alumni community – and for alumni to find local, compatriot or industry connections see www.rsm.nl/alumni/
