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Where Evidence-making Meets Empathy: Reflections On 10 Years of Reach
Reach Alumni at the 2025 Reach Conference in Singapore.
By: The Alumni Council and the Reach Alliance
The 2025 Reach Conference in Singapore marked several major milestones for the Reach Alliance. It was the first ever Reach Conference in Asia, the one-year anniversary of the Alumni Council (August 2024), the first-ever Reach Hackathon, and the tenth anniversary of the Reach Alliance!
To open this year’s conference, alumna Poppy Pierce shared a reflection: “Reach is not simply a research initiative. It is a way of working and being in the world. Reach is where rigorous inquiry meets humility. Where evidence-making meets empathy. Where we learn to listen before we act and where we build trust before we build solutions.”
Over the past ten years researching, listening, and building trust, Reach has grown into a global network of nine university partners and over 400 alumni across the world. Our diverse alumni span a wide range of geographies, career stages, disciplinary backgrounds, and intellectual interests.
In Singapore, as we witnessed alumni involvement in all facets of the conference, we asked ourselves: what drives alumni to stay engaged in the Reach community, and what would motivate us to stay in touch with Reach ten years from now?
The answer? “A community of long-time friends with shared memories, a resourceful global network of alumni, and a shared legacy of contributing to development through our Reach research and learnings,” shared Angela Hou, Reach Alliance Alumni Council Chair. “We envision the Reach community as one that uplifts our members, honours our achievements, builds a body of explorative research, and cultivates a cross-sectoral network of emerging and established leaders.”
Hackathon and Knowledge Translation
Current Reach researchers participated in a hackathon organized by alumni and presented their new research. They shared insights on everything ranging from blockchain for anticipatory action in disaster contexts to Black maternal health, from gender-inclusive climate action to the role of higher education institutions. As Christian Narh Fiergbor, Ashesi University’s Reach Alliance Alumni Council Representative recalled, “these stories remind us that behind every policy, every data point, and every innovation are real people with hopes, struggles, and dreams.”
On the last day of the conference, Alumni Council members hosted a knowledge translation workshop for 55 researchers at the conference and participated in a brainstorming session on the future direction of the Reach Alliance with leadership partners in our consortium.
