CENES Alumni Night, 2022. Photo by Elizabeth Nolan.
CENES is excited to invite you to our annual Careers Night! This is an inspiring and informative annual tradition that brings together students, alumni, and CENES faculty.
Life after graduation can feel uncertain. To support our students, CENES will be inviting alumni from each of our programs (German, Nordic, Slavic and Eastern European, and Modern European Studies) to speak to their undergraduate journey first hand.
This is an opportunity for students to chat with past students about what is possible with a CENES degree, and how a major/minor can best support you in your career, making connections, and feeling prepared to enter either an academic or non-academic career path.
Event Program
This event will feature a student-moderated panel, and a round-robin networking session with several alumni guests with diverse career backgrounds.
5:30 PM Doors open
5:40 PM Introductory Remarks
5:45 PM – 6:25 PM Student-led moderated panel featuring alumni from each of the CENES programs.
6:25 PM – 7:20 PM Round-robin networking – students are invited to mingle with CENES faculty and alumni.
7:20 PM Closing Remarks
Light appetizers and refreshments will be served.
How to Attend
This in-person event is open to all UBC students. Please RSVP ahead of time, as spots are limited.
Date & Time:
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm PT
Location:
Peña Room (301) in Irving K. Barber Learning Centre – 1961 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2G7
Featured Alumni Panelists
Vivienne Zhang
BA’19 Modern European Studies
Research Associate, Space Strategies Consulting Ltd
Vivienne Zhang is a policy researcher specializing in international security. She is a Research Associate at Space Strategies Consulting Ltd and previously worked in UBC’s Political Science department and at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. Vivienne began her career as a Co-op Student at Canadian diplomatic missions abroad in Thailand, Laos, Germany, and Switzerland. She holds a Master’s degree in International Security from Sciences Po Paris and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern European Studies from UBC.
Alexander Suyanto
BA’24 German Studies
PhD Candidate, Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies
Alexander Suyanto is a PhD Student at the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver). His main research area examines issues of power and identity in language learning, particularly among non-heritage learners of German. In addition to applied linguistics, his research interests also include German cultural and translation studies.
Ingrid Petro
MA’08 Germanic Studies
Assistant Manager, Information Services, Vancouver Public Library
Ingrid Petro is a librarian who was born and raised in Vancouver BC. She currently works in Information Services at Vancouver Public Library. Ingrid has an MA in German Lit and a Masters of Library and Information Science, both from UBC. Ingrid has lived, studied and worked in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, but prefers living by the beach in Vancouver.
Conrad Presch
BA’21 German Studies
Product Marketing Manager, Apryse
Conrad Presch is a Product Marketing Manager at Apryse, a document technology company whose software gets embedded inside other companies’ products. He started his career in sales, carrying a quota before moving into marketing as the second hire on the product marketing team, where he built much of the function from scratch, including positioning, competitive strategy, and the launch process.
Ashley Samsone
BA’23 Scandinavian Studies
Undergraduate Program Assistant, UBC, Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies
Ashley Samsone is the Undergraduate Program Assistant in the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies. She graduated in 2023 from UBC with a BA in Classics and a Minor in Scandinavian (now Nordic) Studies, and in 2023 she received Outstanding Leader in the Faculty of Arts Award. Ashley has worked for CENES for the past three years, having the opportunity to work in several roles across the department, and now supports with undergraduate advising, communications and marketing, and student engagement.
Ankit Joshi
BA’07 Slavic Studies
Logistics Coordinator, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Since 2019, Ankit built his career at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in operations and logistics, recently pivoting into an Environment Specialist role. I support the Climate Action and Air Quality team with emissions reduction initiatives.
