Career Development for Women

mentoring³ celebrates its 20th anniversary

06/24/2025 -

in

UA Ruhr
Research
Values

Women stand at tables and talk. — The mentoring³ program of the University Alliance Ruhr offers female academics a comprehensive range of support during and after their doctorate.

Despite progress, women are underrepresented in academic careers in Germany: Only just under 29 percent of professorships are held by women. When the mentoring program mentoring³ of the University Alliance Ruhr was launched 20 years ago, the proportion was only 14 percent. Since then, the program has pursued a clear goal: to promote and support female academics in the best possible way on their career path in science and research. On July 15, 2025, mentoring³ will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a public event in the Glass Pavilion on the Essen campus of the University of Duisburg-Essen. Registration is possible up to and including June 26.

“We want to strengthen female academics in their career development and increase their share in leadership positions,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Karen Shire, Vice-Rector for University Culture, Diversity and International Affairs at the University of Duisburg-Essen. This is because structural hurdles, uncertain career paths and gender-specific prejudices still lead to many female academics dropping out of academic careers at an early stage.

mentoring³, a program of the Research Academy, offers a comprehensive range of support for this: one-to-one mentoring, collegial peer mentoring and workshops for interdisciplinary skills development - for example in communication, leadership or self-marketing. The program lines start every year alternately at Ruhr University Bochum, the University of Duisburg-Essen and TU Dortmund University - for female doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, divided by subject area.

At the celebration, coordinators, mentors and mentees look back together on two decades of dedicated support for female scientists on their career paths and provide space for personal stories, perspectives and networks.

The focus is on the women who have benefited from mentoring³ in many ways - like Clara Weißenfels:

“The program has helped me enormously both professionally and personally,” says the social scientist, who took part from 2022 to 2024. "Through the intensive exchange with my mentor and the other mentees, I not only overcame my insecurities, but also built up valuable networks. These experiences have given me the courage to pursue my career in science with even greater confidence." She has submitted her doctorate to the University of Duisburg-Essen and already has her next academic position lined up.

The program on 15 July 2025:

2:30 p.m. - Network Meeting
Exclusively for active and former mentees, mentors and (former) coordinators. A protected setting for exchange and reunion.
17:00 - Public Ceremony
Welcome by the Rectors of the Universities of Duisburg-Essen, Bochum and Dortmund
Presentation and short film: “20 years of mentoring³ - Developments of an effective program” (Theresa Witt (UDE) Anke Kujawski (TU Dortmund), Julia Leising (RUB))
Keynote speech: “Mentoring as a success factor” (Prof. Dr. Ute Klammer (UDE) and Dr. Birgit Zeyer-Gliozzo TU Dortmund)
from 18:30 - Culinary Finale
Snacks, drinks and discussions in a relaxed atmosphere. The afternoon will be creatively accompanied by graphic recording, i.e. results and information will be professionally recorded in text and sketches.

Registration & Livestream:
Registration is possible until June 26, 2025. Please indicate which program items you would like to attend. The public ceremony will also be broadcast via livestream - the access link will be provided by e-mail in good time.

Further information and registration: https://www.research-academy-ruhr.de/programm/mentoring3.html.de

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