Recently we have been catching up with our alumni-based in the United States of America to see how they stay connected to Nottingham, despite being thousands of miles away from the Trent Building, Hallward Library… or even places like Rock City!

Today we’re speaking to Rob Pinn (German with Dutch, 2016) who lives in Washington, DC to find out more about his experience of studying in Nottingham.

Rob Pinn (4th from right) and fellow graduates.

Rob Pinn (4th from right) and fellow graduates.

What are your memories of your time at Nottingham?

Community is my strongest memory from Nottingham. Friends and community from my first year at Hugh Stewart Hall, who are some of my closest friends to this day, and from my program in German Studies with Dutch. Language classes are small, so I knew everyone in my program.

I lived in the iconic Hu Stu with formal dinners and had classes in the Trent Building, the symbol of the university. Now, I visit my friends across Europe, and those experiences prepared me for the American campus style. University Park, with its unique campus feel in the UK, is more similar to an American university, where I’ve ended up working and studying, continuing to study for graduate school.

Further, Nottingham's identity as "Britain's Global University" motivated me to live across Europe, during my year abroad and since graduating, and moving to the United States. I've worked at universities in the United States with a presence overseas and see the value of universities connecting across the globe.

Staying Connected

How do you stay connected to the University and why is this important to you?

I’m an international alumni ambassador for the University of Nottingham in Washington, DC. I knew there was a community here, but it was rewarding to build it and connect with alumni in DC, many working at the World Bank and IMF. It was also great to host a delegation from the University of Nottingham to Georgetown University in 2023 where I was Director of Admissions in the School of Foreign Service, including representatives from the University of Nottingham in Malaysia.

Why do you want to help and support the next generation of Nottingham students and alumni?

Living overseas, you need to actively seek out community. It’s been fulfilling to shape that community in Washington, DC. Recently, at an alumni happy hour, we welcomed new UoN alumni to the city to help strengthen it. Without my UoN experience, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to live overseas for nearly ten years, in the United States and Italy. Nottingham gave me the global mindset, community-building skills, and language abilities to thrive abroad.

rob-pinn-graduation

Do you still feel part of the Nottingham community, even from overseas?

Yes - I'm thrilled to have built a community in DC in recent years and to see growing engagement between the university, the UK, and the US. Wherever I end up after DC, I’m excited to continue building University of Nottingham alumni networks and, more importantly communities, around the world.

You can find out more about becoming an International Alumni Ambassador here.