Call for Mentors: Join the I-DEEP Mentoring Programme!
We are now looking for industry mentors to mentor our 72 promising doctoral researchers in photonics and related application fields in the I-DEEP pilot.
The goal of the Innovative Doctoral Education Ecosystem for Photonics (I-DEEP) is to increase the number of photonics and related doctorates, support diverse research careers, and ensure a sufficient supply of R&D experts to meet Finland’s future need. By fostering collaboration between academia and industry, I-DEEP aims to equip researchers with cutting-edge knowledge and skills, driving innovation and technological progress.
We are now looking for industry mentors to mentor our 72 promising doctoral researchers in photonics and related application fields in the I-DEEP pilot. The mentoring is organized as group mentoring with 2-4 mentees and one mentor in each group. The focus is primarily on career mentoring.
We are looking for mentors who
- Hold a PhD or a high-level managerial position
- Work in (Finnish) industry in photonics or another high-tech field or in a research institution
- Have at least 2-3 years of work experience
Fill in the form to become a mentor:
This call is for the first round of mentoring organised form Sptember 2025 to May 2026. The decisions of the mentoring group selections will be informed in at the end of August and the first kick-off meeting will be on the last week of September 2025.
Why become a mentor?
Share your knowledge and experience, and see your mentees grow and succeed.
Mentoring can expand your professional network, connecting with other professionals and emerging talents. As a mentor you have the opportunity to engage with future PhDs in photonics, not only in your mentoring group but with the larger I-DEEP network. The joint mentoring events also provide opportunity to meet other mentors who are experienced experts in the field.
Mentoring is extremely valuable for the mentees, but also for the mentor it offers possibility for professional development, developing skills, such as leadership, communication, and coaching. Engaging with PhD researchers you are updated with the latest research and trends in their field.
Especially to partner university alumni, mentoring may also be an opportunity to give back to the research community and support the next generation of researchers.
Commitment and participation
Mentoring requires a commitment of 8-9 months, including two compulsory joint meetings (kick-off and closing session) and other meetings, which can be face-to-face or online, agreed individually upon by the mentoring groups. The recommendation is that meetings are organized (also) face-to-face if this is possible. Although we expect both mentors and mentees to commit to the process, the process is flexible and can be tailored to fit your schedules.
