Alumni-Student Chats

Support a UCL student through our Alumni-Student Chats programme.

Registration for Alumni-Student Chats is has now closed for the January / February iteration.

If you would like to register interest for volunteering as a UCL Alumni, please complete our Alumni Volunteer Expression of Interest Form

Provide expertise, inspiration and advice to a current student and help them prepare them for life beyond UCL.

Through our Alumni-Student Chats programme, you'll be paired with a current student from a similar academic discipline or home country*. You’ll have the chance to share your experiences and offer practical advice, either virtually or in person.

This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with a student and support them in their academic journey.

How does it work?

Participants are invited to arrange a 30-minute meeting with their matched student, to take place in Term 2 in January 2026.

If you are interested in signing up, all you need to do is:

Complete an expression of interest form by Sunday 25 January.
Using the email address you provide, you will be matched with a current student. Details of this, along with guidance on what subjects you might want to talk about, will be communicated after you have signed up.
It’s over to you to arrange a phone call, a Teams or Zoom call, or whichever platform works best for you and your match. If you're based in London and both you and your student match would like to meet on or near campus, then you can suggest this too.
After your chat, we will send you a short survey to see how it's gone.

There’s no obligation on you to form a relationship beyond the conversation; it can be a one-off conversation, or the start of something more (we hope it will be the latter).

*We will aim to generate a match based on these criteria but cannot guarantee. In some instances, alumni may be matched with two students, if you indicate a preference to do so when registering.

What should I talk about?

These conversations aren’t prescriptive, you can talk about whatever you want. We aim to match you with a student who has studied a similar degree or is from a similar location. You can use the time to find out about one another, your experience at UCL, your hometown, your respective job roles, what you are working on now, your challenges or successes – whatever you'd like.

What do UCL Alumni think of the programme?

It's good to be able to offer something that was lacking when I needed it in 1970!

Sharing my UCL experience during the Alumni-Student chats reminded me how valuable the volunteering opportunities, support systems, and inspiring lecturers were in shaping my journey.