Megaa Network: UAE Chapter
Newsletter No. 1 June 2006
The First MEGAA Meeting in the UAE!
MEGAA Website
Gold Coast Alumni Reception
Win a Prize: Design the MEGAA Logo
MEGAA Newsletter for us and by us!
The First MEGAA Meeting in the UAE!
Nine MEGAA members met last month at Le Meriden, Dubai, for the first working committee/brainstorming session to help build MEGAA into a vibrant Alumni network in the UAE. I would like to firstly take this opportunity to thank all the enthusiastic members that attended the meeting, and special thanks to those that travelled from Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khameih to be present.
Two major priorities were identified at the meeting. Each priority was discussed with the following action plans agreed upon:
Priority ONE - Increase the number of MEGAA members through awareness of the MEGAA network across the UAE
- Individual MEGAA members to encourage friends and family members who have graduated from Australian institutions to register with the MEGAA network.
- Individual MEGAA members to promote the MEGAA network within their organisations and to seek out graduates of Australian universities to register to MEGAA.
- Create and develop a MEGAA website. • Promotion of MEGAA via Australian university websites and local advertising.
Priority TWO - Increase networking between MEGAA members, and facilitate communication and social activity
- A discussion board for members on the MEGAA website.
- A quarterly e-Newsletter to MEGAA members.
- A sporting event/BBQ to be organised for all MEGAA members and their families for December/January period.
If you would like access to a press release and/or marketing material to help promote MEGAA within your organisations, please contact me on nada.salha@aei.gov.au and I will be happy to provide relevant marketing material (i.e. Alumni posters, Alumni contact cards, press releases).
Let’s work together to help build the MEGAA network!
TOPMEGAA Website
Jo Clarke (MEGAA member) has volunteered to create and build a MEGAA website to facilitate the promotion of the MEGAA network and encourage communication and dialogue amongst members.
- The MEGAA website will include an online registration form, information about the MEGAA network, employment opportunities for members, news and social event details, and much more.
- The website will also include a MEGAA Blog (discussion forum) which will facilitate communication between MEGAA members. Each member will have the opportunity to log into the Blog and create and submit discussions.
- A test version of MEGAA blog has been created and I encourage you to log onto the blog and start posting suggestions and topics for discussion. A profile for each member has been created and activated. All you need to do is log onto: www.MegaaBlog.com with your first name as your USER NAME and your surname as your PASSWORD. For example, John Smith has user name “John” with password “Smith”. PLEASE change your password IMMEDIATELY once you have successfully logged onto MEGAA Blog! If you have any difficulty logging onto MEGAA blog then please send Nada Salha or Jo Clarke an email.
Gold Coast Alumni Reception
Graduates from universities on the Gold Coast are invited to attend an Alumni reception hosted by the Queensland Government and the Australian Ambassador to the UAE on 5 July 2006. An invitation to graduates of Gold Coast universities will be forwarded shortly.
Create our MEGAA Logo: Win a Prize
For those with creative flare, here is a chance for you to come up with a new and unique logo design for the MEGAA network. Create a design using the acronym MEGAA or words “Middle East and Gulf Australian Alumni” and any other icons or symbols you feel appropriate. It can be black and white or colour, hand drawn or a computer graphic. It does not have to be print-ready! Give it a go!
The member who comes up with the winning design will also win a great prize. (TBC). The winning design will be incorporated into the MEGAA website banner and other icons. You can fax (04 321 2677) or email your design to Nada Salha by 18 June 2006.
MEGAA Newsletter for us and by us!
By Jo Clarke.
Dear MEGAA members, Nada has organized this first newsletter for us. We need to organise and put the newsletter together ourselves. If you are interested in doing that either as co-coordinator or contributor please email me, Jo Clarke or Nada.
If anyone want to add any notifications, news stories, articles, etc to the next newsletter you are most welcome to. Just email Nada
Please feel free to drop me an email at anytime with further suggestions, questions or ideas on nada.salha@aei.gov.au.
Links: MEGAA Blog http://www.MegaaBlog.com
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