NanoLund Mentoring program

NanoLund Mentoring program

The NanoLund Mentoring program has been created to support our PhD-students as they consider their professional options to navigate their career paths. It is intended to be a flexible way of providing guidance tailored to the needs of the student.

The purpose of the mentoring program is to provide the participants with the opportunity to discuss their professional ambitions and challenges with independent mentors from outside the research group. The mentor’s role as an independent resource to the mentee is essential, as they are ideally positioned to help the mentees develop their full potential, from beyond a supervisor’s perspective. 

NanoLund is establishing a mentoring program to support our PhD-students in their professional development. The program will consist of three main events supported by career and leadership coach Tina Persson.​

First, is a full-day Career Development Workshop open to all PhD-students within NanoLund. During this workshop, the participants are guided to identify their skills and drivers, and they work through a Career Choice Indicator. This workshop aims to start the process of considering viable carrier choices. A big part of this workshop aims to highlight the students’ transferable skills but also for them to consider if they would like to take part in the mentorship program. If so, they will be encouraged to apply to the program. ​

The second workshop is a Kick-off event for mentees and mentors focusing on the actual mentoring process. For example: How do I approach a mentorship? What discussions should I have with my mentor? How should I ask questions? The focus of the mentorship program lies in the individual discussions between the mentor and the mentee. As our mentors are mainly chosen from outside of academia and beyond the supervisor’s perspective, these discussions will open up new perspectives for the mentees and enable them to develop. This work will continue for four–five months, during which the mentees will arrange four or more meetings with their mentors. ​

A third workshop is a Closing event for the mentees where we develop an action plan to set into motion what the mentees learned during the mentorship.​

NanoLund Mentoring program

Mentoring is a time-limited and goal-oriented process characterized by openness, trust, and commitment. In this Mentoring program, the mentor and mentee are recommended to meet at least four times during the four–five months of the program upon the mentee’s initiative. The work between the mentor and mentee is a mutual process which requires honesty from both sides. Strict confidentiality must be maintained between mentor and mentee.​

A mentee in this program is a NanoLund PhD student, typically mid-way through her/his studies, who is interested in building a professional relationship to explore her/his own strengths and development needs and who is ready to take responsibility for her/his own personal and professional development with the help of constructive feedback to support the next steps in the carrier.

As mentee you commit to:

• Participate in the Kick-off event.
• Plan and book meetings with the mentor – the mentor and mentee are expected to meet about four times during the spring 
• Take responsibility for the content of the mentoring session.
• Seek constructive feedback; accept new responsibilities and challenges.
• Be committed to taking actions planned with the mentor.
• Be considerate and respect their mentor’s time.
• Express appreciation and have an open frame of mind.

For more information contact NanoLund Education coordinator, Jens Uhlig.