AlmaMatters will keep alumni updated on happenings at the University, and will also carry inspirational stories and celebrate achievements of alumni, staff and students.

The University of Pretoria (UP) is launching an electronic newsletter for alumni, called AlmaMatters, in February.
Senior Manager of Alumni Relations at UP, Samantha Castle said: “This quarterly newsletter will keep alumni updated regularly on happenings at the University. We intend keeping alumni abreast of news, research and events. It will also carry inspirational stories and celebrate the achievements of UP’s alumni, staff and students, as a means of instilling pride in the University.” It will also feature the achievements of Tuks Sport. 

Castle said, “We want our alumni to email us [email protected] and tell us how they feel about the content, and what they would like to see in the newsletter. They may also send us their news.” Tukkie, the official alumni magazine of the University, will be produced electronically once a year (in November), but should alumni opt for hard copies, they have to inform the Alumni Office.
Castle said the Alumni Relations department is creating global communities of UP ambassadors by hosting events for alumni. Alumni can give back to their alma mater by investing in the University, or through friendship, mentorship and giving guest lectures. 

She explained that UP is an inter-generational University where alumni should send their children and grandchildren to study. The University has a legacy of high standards and excellence and in February, it turns 111. It has almost 300 000 alumni, and is the biggest contact university in South Africa, with 53 000 students.

It is also one of the top producers of PhDs in the country, and is regarded as a national and international leader in research. In 2018, UP had 53 leading researchers among the top 1% of scientists internationally in the Web of Science indexes, 66% of its academic staff had doctoral degrees and there were 500 researchers with National Research Foundation ratings. Furthermore, UP had research partnerships with more than 200 international institutions, meaning that a qualification from UP represents high standards, excellence and credibility, said Castle.