GÉANT Mentoring Programme

GÉANT Mentoring Programme (GEM)

Fostering female talent and helping women develop their careers within our community

Only 37% of GÉANT’s workforce is female, with the gender imbalance most noticeable in engineering and executive roles. Recognising the need for a more balanced workforce, the Gender Equality Action Plan pledges to implement a formal mentorship programme, and extend reach to the wider GÉANT community and beyond.

REGISTER FOR GEM >

If you have any questions contact us.

How does the mentoring programme work?

Individuals keen to mentor or receive mentoring (or both), can register on our dedicated mentoring platform.

After outlining their mentoring goals and availability, individuals identify potential partners via the mentoring platform, based on their preferences.

Once paired, the mentee and mentor collaborate to set goals and communication parameters, scheduling calls accordingly.

Rosanna

"Venturing into this initiative I anticipated a rewarding experience - and it has been nothing short of that. I was selected to mentor two women, and our interactions have been extraordinary. Each meeting enriches me professionally and personally, and the joy of witnessing my mentees flourish and gain self-assurance mirrors my own growth. I look forward to navigating this path together and seeing where this experience will take us."
Rosanna Norman - Communications Manager, GÉANT | Mentor

Donal

"I've really enjoyed teaching network engineering as part of the mentoring programme – and my mentee has too!
I've learned how the profession looks for someone starting their networking career, and my mentee has taken leaps and bounds in their path to a career in network engineering. We both look forward to our meetings and I can’t wait for the next one."
Dónal Cunningham - Technical Architect, HEAnet | Mentor

Lisa

"Joining the GEM Programme as a mentee has been an inspiring and supportive experience. I've had the chance to connect with mentors who have offered valuable insights to support my professional and personal growth. The GEM platform schedules mentoring meetings, provides suggested session outlines, and records feedback to track my progress. The programme is fantastic and I look forward to each mentoring session."
Lisa Melrose - Learning Coordinator, GÉANT | Mentee

Eva

"Finding information online is a regular part of life, but you can't replace the human touch and personal approach. Having someone you trust, who understands you and can support your growth, is invaluable. What's even better is that it's a mutually beneficial relationship! I am very happy I joined the mentorship programme."
Eva Nestorovska - Researcher, PSNC (Project Task Leader) | Mentee

Green_testimonial_banner

"As a mentee in the GÉANT mentoring programme, I am having a highly positive experience, since the programme allows me to have contact with people with extensive experience. Beyond technical skills, it is the deep knowledge on strategic and organisational matters that mentors transmit, which makes this programme exceptionally fruitful. Valuable feedback and support from my mentor have been crucial to developing my skills and expanding my professional connections."
Francisca Martín-Vergara - University of Málaga | Mentee

previous arrow
next arrow

GEM platform statistics

Registered users: 39

Matched users: 18

Completed sessions: 42

Mentoring topics

Find out about some of the most popular mentoring topics on the GEM platform, and remember – you can propose your own as soon as you are registered!

Hard skills
  • Project management
  • Product and service development
  • Software development
  • Event planning
  • Network
  • Cloud services
  • Trust & Identity
  • DevOps
  • Writing a news item
  • Storytelling
  • Research engagement
Soft skills
  • Communication and influence
  • Problem-solving and decision making
  • Teamwork
  • Planning and organising
  • Leadership development
  • Negotiating and handling conflicts
  • Creativity
  • Ownership
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Time management
  • Self-awareness

What to expect from the programme

TIME COMMITMENT

We suggest 3-6 hours for mentoring sessions, and some time for preparing for each meeting.

ACCESS TO MATERIALS

Participants have access to a range of materials on mentoring, including suggested topics for discussion.

FEEDBACK

Participants may be asked to provide feedback on their experience to the Learning & Development team.

For Project beneficiaries

Mentors from Project beneficiaries may charge time they spend mentoring to WP1T5. Beneficiaries include GÉANT's 40 members and their beneficiaries, (e.g. universities which are NREN members could charge time via their NREN).

Skip to content