Mentoring-Program for Doctoral Researchers

The Mentoring Program of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Network (DokNet) and the Graduate Center (GraZ) is aimed at doctoral researchers and interested postdoctoral researchers. Its primary goal is to provide doctoral researchers with network-based and career-oriented support during the dissertation phase and to assist with career planning.

By connecting doctoral researchers at Europa-Universität Flensburg with external mentors from academia, business, public administration, the arts, and politics, the DokNet and GraZ Mentoring Program supports participants in developing their academic careers. The program encourages intergenerational exchanges on academic, personal, and career-related topics, helps mentees build their individual profiles, and expands their networks as members of the academic community.

The mentoring program primarily pursues three objectives:

  • Diversifying doctoral supervision
  • Promoting network building and expanding professional and interdisciplinary exchange
  • Supporting and relieving the supervisory relationship

Program Element: Mentoring for Female Doctoral Candidates

The 12-month program is aimed at female doctoral candidates from all faculties of Europa-Universität Flensburg and is implemented by GraZ. Interested applicants should submit their application to Kathrin Rheinländer. There are still two places available in the group starting in April.

Selected participants receive support in orienting themselves for their future career path—whether in academia or in professional roles in business, industry, public administration, or associations.

Program

Within the mentoring tandem, the focus is on one-to-one mentoring. This means that each mentee is individually supported in her personal career planning by a self-selected mentor. The matching process is supported: being paired with a mentor from academia or industry provides the mentee with valuable impulses for entering the workforce and opens doors by enabling access to new networks.

In addition, seminars are planned on topics such as profile development and visibility, career planning, and balancing family and academic life.

As part of peer mentoring, mentees work in groups of five to seven people on self-defined topics in a structured way. This collegial exchange promotes sustainable mutual support as well as reflective engagement with individual goals and development progress. The aim is to create a trusting, non-competitive dialogue, which particularly benefits from the interdisciplinary composition of the groups.

In cases of specific professional challenges, individual coaching sessions with external professional coaches can be arranged. Evaluations take place during the course of the program: after the matching phase, at the halfway point, and at the end of the program.

  • Date: 20.04.2026 von 10:00 - 12:00 Uhr
  • Place: RIG 401