[Bolincentret-at-su.se] The Bolin Linking Program: round two!

[Agatha de Boer]

*Dear Bolin Centre members,
*

This is a call for a new round of the *Bolin Linking Program*, a 
mentorship program from the Bolin Center.

*Signing up*
If you are willing to act as a mentor in this round of the program or 
interested in having a mentor, please sign up by *May 6th* by emailing 
either me (agatha.deboer at geo.su.se) or Malin Kylander 
(malin.kylander at geo.su.se). Please provide your name, department, field 
of study, position and your envisioned role in the program (mentor or 
mentee). A person may sign up as both mentor and mentee. This could for 
instance apply to a postdoctoral researcher. Mentees should in addition 
state if they have any preference for mentors regarding seniority, 
department, discipline, gender, or other.

*Background*
For those not familiar, the program is a voluntary initiative that links 
up interested junior and senior scientists in a mentor-mentee 
relationship. As a mentor you can support a junior scientist by acting 
as a sounding board, sharing your experiences and expertise.The program 
augments the normally strong mentorship already in place between 
researchers and supervisors and broaden the network of the researchers 
further.According to recent feedback the first round was an overwhelming 
success and much appreciated by the mentees. See below for some of the 
quotes. Those willing to sign up as mentors can therefore be assured 
that their time is well spend and appreciated, even if it may not always 
feel obvious. So please seriously consider to sign up as a first time or 
as a repeat mentor.

*Procedure*
- Mentees and Mentors sign up by 6 May 2016.
- We link up mentors and mentees in the following two weeks and inform 
them of their linking partner. Unless a person states an alternative 
preference, we will link mentees with mentors in other departments.
- The mentees will contact mentors to set up a first meeting. At that 
meeting, they will decide the format of their preferred mentoring 
relationship , including type and frequency of meeting. Meeting 
frequency can range from three times a year to monthly. Most mentees and 
mentors prefered a non structured setup where discussions progress 
informally. Such a discussion can start with a simple "how are things 
going?" and proceed from there. However, this is not optimal for all 
mentees and mentors. Some pairs may prefer a more formal discussion of 
goals and challenges. For those we suggest that the mentee writes a 
short personal development program for the next two years which may 
include thesis writing, conference attendence, publications, career 
development, personal goals, etc. Then the pair can discuss at each 
meeting how progress towards those goals are proceeding and discuss how 
to overcome the challenges. We stress that it is up to the mentee to 
choose which setup they prefer since the linking program is there to 
serve the needs of the mentee.
- The commitment is initially for one year. The program will be annually 
reviewed and adjusted as required. This will allow for new mentor-mentee 
pairs but it is of course up to the existing pairs to continue their 
partnership informally if so desired. Mentees may also request to be 
linked up to the same mentor if they feel the continuance of the formal 
relationship will be helpful although in most cases it it envisioned 
that a mentee will prefer a new mentor to provide fresh ideas and insights.

Best regards,
Agatha and Malin

*Selected feedback from the 2014-2015 round of the Linking Program:**
**From mentees:*
It was extermely useful. I had 4-5 meetings with my mentor that were 
very helpful and a great way to share ideas
Great to get unbiased input on diffent issues
Able to get advice on a job applications which was very useful to 
improve both my CV and cover letter
It was especially usefully to get to talk with a female mentor about 
what it is like being a woman in science, since
not many of the people I usually work with can give any good insight 
when it comes to this aspect. "
Great that consideration has gone into the matching of mentee and mentor 
as this worked very well. "
It was good to talk with someone who is not directly involved in my 
scientific career.
I like that there was a formal way to find a mentor and one doesn't have 
to find oneself
It could be especially important for phd students who don't get along 
well with their supervisors
It provides connections with researchers in neighbouring fields.
It has been really great. My mentor was the perfect person to speak to 
regarding the academic process.
I am sure my mentor and I will be in contact beyond the program and the 
introduction was invaluable
It is also a good opportunity to meet and learn about other departments 
and nearby disciplines.
It was good to have someone experienced outside the department to get 
some feedback from."

*From mentors*
I acted as an extra listening ear able to give some advice
Great initiative. I enjoyed the meetings and learned a lot myself.
Good to hear how SU and PhD eduction is working from a different 
perpective as ones own.
In general it was fun to meet and see that there are good working groups 
out there across campus.
The program is a really good idea.
I very much enjoyed the meetings and believe we will continue them 
regardless of the program

**


-- 
Agatha M. de Boer,
Associate Professor
Dept. of Geological Science and Bert Bolin Centre for Climate Research
Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Tel: +46 8 16 4730
http://people.geo.su.se/agatha





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