Peer Mentoring at IPZ

Peer mentoring is a voluntary and informal program to connect incoming PhDs and postdocs with a mentor from a different Chair. The intention is for mentors to provide practical advice and support (academic, social, bureaucratic) to help mentees integrate and thrive in the department. The program will contribute to a more inclusive and collegial environment. It will also help the Mittelbau identify challenges and barriers that new PhDs and Postdocs face, which can then be communicated to the leadership and administration.

The mentorship period lasts one semester. An initial meeting should be done early in the semester. Mentor and mentee then decide on the frequency and timing of meetings.

We will place mentors with mentees based on the specific needs of both parties. To do this we will invite postdocs and PhDs who have been at IPZ for at least one year to take a brief survey to identify different areas (teaching, research and career, finding an apartment, moving to a new country, social events in Zurich, etc.) in which they are willing to provide support. We will do a separate survey for incoming PhDs and postdocs in a similar fashion.

We will do our best to match mentors and mentees depending on their preferences and needs. If there is a lack of fit between mentor or mentee, we will do our best to find an alternative mentor.

Fill out the survey and we will get back to you once we have matched you with a mentor/mentee. We will help you set up an initial meeting.

• Link (Mentees): https://forms.gle/9ZMvj2LMwzgCHCMy7
• Link (Mentors): https://forms.gle/HrDBPoF8hsHXkDqGA

peer-mentoring@ipz.uzh.ch