Development, cooperation, commitment
The University of Lodz Mentorship Project has been connecting ambitious students with passionate and committed mentors for 10 years. Over the past six months, mentees have had the opportunity to benefit from the valuable knowledge and experience of outstanding VIP Alumni acting as mentors. Experienced professionals from various fields of professional life were on hand to offer advice, knowledge and support, helping young people to develop their interpersonal skills and discover ways to strengthen self-esteem both professionally and personally.
During the course of the project, the students had the opportunity to explore different professional areas, gain industry knowledge and expand their network of contacts. Some mentorship pairs do not slow down and do not end their cooperation with the official ending of the project. They have further goals ahead of them, implementing new joint projects.
Mentorship pairs – 10th edition of the project
This year's project involved 33 mentors and 38 students. Over the past 10 years, more than 340 students have benefited from the support of mentors. There are more than 90 mentors, many of whom participate year after year. Piotr Wesołowski, mentor in the Mentorship Project, long-time journalist of the Lodz media, university lecturer, VIP graduate of the University of Lodz, sadly passed away this year.
During the closing ceremony of the 10th edition of the Mentorship Project, Prof. Agnieszka Kurczewska, the University of Lodz Vice-Rector for External Relations, said:
I strongly believe in this project – it is one of our best projects that teaches two sides. Students have the opportunity to gain practical knowledge, network with mentors, people who are more experienced professionally and in life. Mentors, on the other hand, can see how nice it feels to share their knowledge and wealth of experience. This kind of mentoring-based education is definitely the future of universities.
How mentors perceive the Mentorship Project
The invited mentors have shared their experiences related to the work in mentorship pairs.
I tried to make my mentees understand that they should not be afraid to show their competence, their strengths, that they should be able to highlight them. They don't have a lot of work experience at the moment, but they have a lot of other qualities and life experiences, from scouting to being active in different kinds of organisations, which are much more important for a future employer, because they show the values they live by
– Michał Hertel, CEO, BrandLift Customer Advocacy.
Mentoring is my passion, just like my love of the mountains is. I see an analogy between climbing and mentoring. The first similarity is that in the mountains, in climbing, trust is the most important factor. Such trust also needs to be built up with the mentor, the mentee, in order to be able to work together
– Agnieszka Belowska-Gosławska, Head of Compliance Office, Nordea.
Apply to take part in the 11th edition of the University of Lodz Mentorship Project
The next, 11th edition of the University of Lodz Mentorship Project will start in October 2023. We encourage students from all faculties of the University of Lodz to start this unique adventure. If you are interested in cooperation with a mentor, leave us your contact details in the form, and we will send you information about the start of registration for the 11th edition.
If you want to know what the previous editions of the University of Lodz Mentorship Project looked like, feel free to visit the project website.
Source: Centre for External Relations, University of Lodz
Edit: Communications and PR Centre, photo: Maciej Andrzejewski