The ChallengeEU Mentoring Programme has officially launched
On Monday, January 19, and Thursday, January 22, meetings officially inaugurating the ChallengeEU Mentoring Programme took place. The programme is coordinated by the University of Warmia and Mazury. The ChallengeEU Mentoring Programme aims to provide students with support from European professionals, boost their self-confidence and skills, and help them define their career paths – all through mentoring rooted in the idea of ODEI (Openness, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). During the first kick-off meeting, participants were welcomed by Prof. Paweł Wielgosz, Rector’s Representative for European Universities, while the second meeting was opened by Prof. Tobias Hagen, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation at Hochschule Offenburg and Chair of the ChallengeEU Alliance. Both speakers spoke about the ChallengeEU Alliance and the role the mentoring programme plays within it. They also expressed their thanks to everyone involved in the programme and to those who showed interest in participating Starting together The main idea behind the kick-off meetings was to allow all mentors and mentees to inaugurate the programme together and to ensure they knew what to expect in the subsequent stages. “The mentoring programme is of great importance to the ChallengeEU Alliance, as it represents a direct investment in what is most valuable – people. It demonstrates that UWM, as the programme organiser and a member of the alliance, is committed to implementing the principles of ODEI. This is crucial for building a culture of openness and development,” said Prof. Katarzyna Ćwirynkało from the Faculty of Social Sciences and ODEI Officer in the ChallengeEU Alliance. The ChallengeEU Mentoring Programme is addressed to all students at universities participating in the alliance. Mentors may include academic staff as well as professionals from outside the academic community, including entrepreneurs. In total, 75 mentors and 79 mentees applied. During the meetings, participants became familiar with essential information about how the programme works, what it involves, and what will take place in the coming weeks. They also had the opportunity to meet the team from the University of Warmia and Mazury responsible for organising the initiative. The team includes Prof. Katarzyna Ćwirynkało, Dr Monika Ryndzionek and Agata Przyborowska, MA, supported by members of Work Package 5. The first edition of the mentoring programme within the ChallengeEU Alliance will last approximately six months. A minimum of five mentor–mentee meetings is planned, which will primarily take place online (with the option of meeting on university campuses). Both mentors and mentees will receive certificates of participation upon completion of the programme. A dose of essential knowledge After both inauguration meetings, training sessions for mentors were held and led by Dr Monika Ryndzionek. During these sessions, mentors learned about their roles, received practical tools and tips to help them fulfil their responsibilities, and became thoroughly familiar with the goals of the ChallengeEU Alliance mentoring programme. Each training session lasted 75 minutes. “The idea behind mentoring programmes is to learn from more experienced people in various areas and fields of life, as mentors may include university staff, representatives of non-governmental organisations, or entrepreneurs. However, it is worth remembering that mentors also develop through this process, for example by sharing their experience,” emphasised Dr Monika Ryndzionek from the Faculty of Social Sciences, an ODEI expert in the ChallengeEU Alliance. Photo by: Freepik.com
