Mentoring and Shadowing

In 2001, the Equal Opportunities Service launched a new program for female doctoral students and researchers called Mentoring. Adopted by all Swiss universities, Mentoring represents a strategic contribution towards the career development of female scholars determined to engage in academic teaching and research.

Mentoring acts as a vehicle in providing guidance and advice to female academics, and it completes the sort of individual guidance normally provided by Faculty tutors or supervisors.

In particular, USI's mentoring program ("Female academic careers") enables to:

• be teamed up with a mentor, a “resource person” (professor, lecturer, researcher - (male or female) who is an acknowledged expert in the chosen field of research;
• apply for shadowing of an expert (male or female) in another academic institution, allowing the applicant to take a temporary leave of absence from USI, i.e. temporary relief from her normal work load at USI;
• take part in free training workshops and events organised by the Service on behalf of junior academics on issues related to equal opportunities.