Diversity-oriented mentoring and coaching programs

Group coaching is aimed at women (cis and trans*) and non-binary individuals who are pursuing a doctorate at the Faculty of Humanities. It offers a safe space in which doctoral candidates can reflect on and address their individual questions arising from everyday academic life. The participants determine the topics themselves—the focus of each session is based on their current challenges and concerns. Possible topics include, for example: dealing with conflicts in the workplace and in hierarchical structures, balancing doctoral studies and private life, self-positioning in academia (e.g., with regard to role clarification and career questions), or self-assertion (e.g., in connection with abuse of power). At the beginning of each session, the participants' concerns are collected and prioritized together. Using targeted coaching methods—such as reflection exercises, perspective changes, or role-playing—we develop solution-oriented approaches for individual everyday working life. Even if not everyone can directly address their own issues in each session, everyone benefits from the exchange, feedback, and transferable strategies. The overarching goal of group coaching is to support participants in shaping a self-determined academic career path.

Dates

• Wednesday, July 16, 2025 – 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Information session on group coaching (online)
• Friday, November 14, 2025 – 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: 1st group coaching session (in person)
• Friday, February 6, 2026 – 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: 2nd group coaching session (online)
• Friday, May 22, 2026 – 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: 3rd group coaching session (online)
• Friday, September 25, 2026 – 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: 4th group coaching session (in person)

Information on participation

If you are interested in group coaching, please send an informal email to the coordinator Merle Kruse (gleichstellung.gw"AT"uni-hamburg.de) to register for the information session on July 16, 2025. When registering, please indicate whether German is acceptable as the language of instruction for the information session or whether you require English as the language of instruction.

The registration phase will begin after the information session on July 16, 2025. The registration process is not competitive. Places are limited and will be allocated in the order in which registrations are received. When registering for group coaching, please also indicate whether German is acceptable as the language of instruction for the group coaching or whether you require English as the language of instruction. Registered participants are expected to be able to attend all sessions.

The next postdoctoral mentoring program at the Faculty of Humanities is expected to start in the 2026/27 winter semester.

The mentoring program is coordinated by the Faculty of Humanities' Equal Opportunities Office in collaboration with the Equal Opportunities Office of the Cluster of Excellence “Understanding Written Artefacts” (UWA). It is aimed at postdocs and junior professors at the Faculty of Humanities and the UWA Cluster of Excellence who potentially experience inequalities in terms of gender, sexuality, religion, racialization/ethnicization, social background, and/or family responsibilities, among other things.

Through participation in one-on-one meetings with mentors, group meetings to reflect on the mentoring process, peer mentoring groups, career development workshops, and informal online meetings between mentors and mentees, postdocs acquire in-depth knowledge about career paths within and outside academia and develop skills for self-reflection and career planning. The mentoring program offers numerous networking opportunities and an open and safe space for reflecting on one's own experiences in academia. It is not programmatically selective or competitive.

• Review of the last mentoring program 2023/24 (PDF)
• For further information about the program, please contact: Dr. Merle Kruse, Equal Opportunities Officer at the Faculty of GW (gleichstellung.gw"AT"uni-hamburg.de)