The mentoring programme aims to provide postdoctoral researchers with personalised support in their career reflection, professional development, and the effective promotion of their skills and experience.
Complementing academic supervision, it offers opportunities to engage with experienced professionals from both academic and non-academic sectors, gaining advice, insights from their experience, and an external perspective to broaden career horizons and prepare for the next steps in their professional journey.
Mentoring provides access to experiences and perspectives that complement those gained through research. It encourages reflection on career pathways, the development of transferable skills, and the building of a valuable professional network to support future career opportunities, whether within academia or beyond.
Because everyone’s needs and interests are different, the programme offers two mentoring format:
Explorer Mentoring
Discover, gain inspiration, and broaden your horizons
This flexible and light format provides an excellent opportunity to explore new career paths, discover a professional field, gain practical advice, engage in inspiring conversations with experienced professionals, and expand your network.
Explorer Mentoring may take different forms, including:
An informal coffee chat to discuss a career path, professional sector, or career opportunities;
A question-and-answer session with a professional;
A job shadowing experience, offering first-hand insight into the day-to-day reality of a particular profession.
Development Mentoring
Build and advance your professional project
This format is designed for postdoctoral researchers seeking more in-depth and structured support to achieve a specific professional objective.
Development Mentoring can help participants to:
Expand their professional network;
Develop specific skills needed to achieve their career goals;
Explore different career options;
Exchange with professionals about their career aspirations and the steps required to achieve their objectives;
Learn how to effectively present and promote their profile and skills in both academic and non-academic job markets.
This format is based on a longer-term mentoring relationship and requires a mutual commitment from both mentor and mentee.
The programme includes:
A mentoring period of one year;
A minimum of four meetings;
The definition of development goals at the beginning of the mentoring relationship;
The submission of a short reflection report at the end of the programme.
The program is open to all UniNE postdocs, regardless of discipline or career stage.
Express your interest in the program
Interested candidates should inform the Graduate Campus of their wish to participate. They will then receive an application form to complete
The form includes questions about your academic background and information on the selected type of mentoring and objectives you aim to achieve through mentoring. It must be accompanied by your academic CV
Identify a mentor
Candidates may propose their own mentor or be supported by the Graduate Campus and the Alumni Network in identifying a suitable mentor.
Sign the mentoring agreement (if applicable)
For the Development Mentoring, the relationship between mentor and mentoree will be formalized by signing a mentorship agreement defining key objectives, meeting frequency, and mutual expectations.
Participation in the program involves the following commitments:
Preparation ahead of sessions (defining objectives, preparing questions, following up on agreed actions)
Respectful and professional communication between mentee and mentor
A proactive, open, and reflective attitude
For the Development Mentoring : A one-year engagement, active and regular participation in meetings with the mentor (minimum of 4 meetings per year), signing a mentoring agreement at the start of the program between the mentee, the mentor, and the Graduate Campus, specifying key objectives, meeting frequency, and mutual expectations.
Writing and submitting a mentoring report at the end of the program, describing the extent to which objectives were met and lessons learned.
Explorer Mentoring
Explorer Mentoring
Complete the application form
Identify a mentor
