How starting the Perth alumni network enriched Neville’s life and career

Thanks to the initiative of alum Neville Lin, University of Melbourne alumni based in Western Australia now have a new opportunity to forge fresh connections.

Lin’s career has taken him from China to Melbourne, Brisbane and now Perth, where he is a partner at SEER Financial Group. After arriving in Western Australia without knowing many people, he saw an opportunity to bring like-minded alumni together, and started the Perth Alumni Network.

“We have more than 4300 alumni in Perth, but we’re quite far away from Melbourne,” Neville explains.

_{Neville Lin (left) with a fellow alum at the Perth Alumni Network event.}

“I thought, why not create our own opportunity to connect? The University of Melbourne provided us with a really strong foundation for academic excellence and community. I saw this network as an opportunity to build on that legacy.”

In addition to 11 formal Alumni Associations, the University of Melbourne supports a number of smaller alumni networks that help keep alumni connected around the world. Led by volunteers giving back to the university community, the alumni networks can be grouped by location, faculty or discipline.

In November 2023, Neville decided to “test the water” and launch the Perth Alumni Network with a debut networking event. Not thinking that many people would show up, he booked a venue for 30 people. Over 60 alumni showed up. He plans to now host quarterly events.

“There is a lot of interest in our events from the community, which is great to see. We’ve also started a LinkedIn group that people can join.”

Why “learning to fish” is important

Born and raised in China, Neville chose to study at the University of Melbourne for his postgraduate degree because he “wanted to study at the best university”. He had always had an interest in maths and numbers, and enrolled in the Master of Applied Commerce because it promised an interesting career path.