Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine
Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance
Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust
Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine
Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History
Luxembourg Centre for European Law
Luxembourg Centre for Socio-Environmental SystemsADVANCE Mentoring
Welcome to the ADVANCE mentoring programme! Our mission is to cultivate a supportive and equitable research culture right here in Luxembourg.
A mentoring program to support equitable career advancement
Why mentoring for career development, you might ask?
Mentoring isn’t just about guidance; it’s a catalyst for growth, collaboration, and empowerment. Through ADVANCE, we foster a vibrant learning community where researchers engage in transformative conversations, share experiences, and build connections.
At the heart of ADVANCE is the belief in individual potential. We recognise the power within each individual; furthermore, ADVANCE acknowledges the intricate interplay between individuals, relationships, and the broader research community. Together, we’ll not only advance careers but also strengthen our collaborative culture.
The ADVANCE Mentoring programme is organised by the Gender Equality Office, with support from the Vice-Rector for Research, in partnership with the research institutes: Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research and the Luxembourg Institute of Health.
Mentoring strands
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Faculty
One-to-one Mentoring for Research Scientists, Assistant Professors, or Associate Professors.
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Becoming a mentor
Mentors have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of talented researchers by sharing your knowledge, experiences, and insights. Furthermore, mentoring is a two-way process that fosters personal growth for both mentors and mentees. Through mentoring, mentors reflect on their own career and develop valuable leadership and communication skills.
Mentoring matters
A mentoring relationship can provide
- Guidance and advice on career choices.
- Opportunities to grow the professional network and help build connections.
- Learning opportunities through sharing expertise and experience.
- Encouragement and feedback thus building confidence.
- Support in setting and achieving career goals.
- Insights into the culture and dynamics of a particular workplace.
ADVANCE is grounded on the Humanistic theory and in the quality standards and the global ethics code of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), and it takes the EMCC definition of Mentoring:
“Mentoring is a learning relationship, involving the sharing of skills, knowledge, and expertise between a mentor and mentee through developmental conversations, experience sharing, and role modeling. The relationship may cover a wide variety of contexts and is an inclusive two-way partnership for mutual learning that values differences.” (EMCC definition)
The humanistic theory emphasizes the belief in the inherent potential of individuals as well as the value of individual autonomy, choice, and self-determination. Hence, ADVANCE takes a learner-centered and holistic approach that recognizes the value of individual potential, autonomy, positive relationships, and personal growth. ADVANCE will seek to nurture the unique strengths, talents, and aspirations of mentees and empower them to take ownership of their own learning, development, and career choices. In addition, it will encourage mentors to provide personalized guidance and support that aligns with the mentees’ individual needs and goals, fostering their self-discovery, self-actualization, and personal growth.
By fostering open communication, active listening, and empathy, ADVANCE will contribute to an environment where people connect and contribute to a sense of belonging/community.
• Individualised support for personal and professional development.
• Structured conversations with a trusted mentor(s), to explore potential and get advice on career development/challenges.
• Peer-mentoring groups.
• Focus on Women and other underrepresented groups.
Beyond the mentoring conversations ADVANCE has other two pillars: Training and Networking, operating in collaboration with various University and partner structures.
All participants will receive orientation training at the start of the program, to promote effective learning conversations. The Faculty and Fellows mentees will further participate in career development workshops, targeted to develop their skills, and move forward in their careers.
In addition to the Mentoring activities, ADVANCE will promote networking events such as the Women Leaders Lecture Series.
Prof. Anna Kornadt and Prof. Machteld Venken explain why they became mentors
Testimonials from ADVANCE Fellows
“The programme made me reflect and strengthened my relationship with the University’s community.” -Mentor
“The mentorship programme helped me reflect on my own practice and experience” -Mentor
“The Advance programme provided me with an environment of support, resources, and reflection-provoking activities that were crucial in helping me figure out what my goals and wishes are and what my next steps should look like.” -Mentee
“The mentoring programme was a unique opportunity to speak to a senior researcher about all things related to academia in an unbiased manner and a safe environment, which has helped me significantly in my outlook on my own career.” -Mentee
Testimonials from ADVANCE Circles
“Advances circles have been a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend it. I left feeling more confident and prepared for the PhD years ahead!”
“The circles are a unique welcoming and supportive space to share and listen to both female peers and leaders’ experience in their careers.”
“The diverse perspectives and experiences of both the mentors and fellow participants enriched our discussions, enabling me to challenge my own assumptions. The circle with female professor mentors fostered a supportive and empowering environment for aspiring researchers like myself.”
“As a mentor, I was delighted to ‘pay it forward’ in a space created by the university, specifically the Gender Equality Office. While I’ve had informal mentees before, this format required much less planning. The circle created a group atmosphere where support and insights were not only provided by the mentors but also by our peers themselves, which I found immensely valuable.”
ADVANCE is sponsored by the Gender Equality Officer (Rector’s office) and it is an action of the current Gender Equality Policy.
Executive committee
Steering Committee (Fellows and Circles strands):
- Prof Simone P. Niclou, Vice-rector for research, Co-Program Leader
- Andreas Fickers, Uni.lu representative
- Jan Lagerwall, Uni.lu representative
- Emma Schymanski, Uni.lu representative
- Aline Muller, LISER representative
- Valérie Gavroy, LIH representative
- Josiane Entringer, External
- Linda Wampach, External
ADVANCE Fellows and Circles are run in partnership with the Luxembourg research institutes: Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research and the Luxembourg Institute of Health (the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology is set to join the program in 2026).
Within the University and with partners, ADVANCE adopts a transversal and collaborative approach to establish a mentoring culture. This approach involves working across functional teams, including Human Resources, Office of Doctoral Studies, and Research Support Department, among others.
ADVANCE also collaborates with national initiatives such as Research Luxembourg and EURAXESS Luxembourg to promote a positive research culture and support the career development of researchers.
For reference, download the Luxembourg Mentoring Charter.
