University of Hamburg Business School
University of HamburgBusiness School
Application possible until 17 December 2025Mentoring Programme for Master's Students and Early-stage Researchers
5 November 2025
Photo: Universitäts-Gesellschaft Hamburg
"Mentoring Moves Careers" is aimed at selected young professionals: master's students and doctoral candidates at the University of Hamburg, as well as doctoral candidates and postdocs through the inter-university institution Hamburg Research Academy. The programme brings them together with experienced professionals, helping young people with their career planning.
The "Mentoring Moves Careers" programme is entering its next application round for 2026 and is accepting applications until 17 December. The format was developed in 2019 as a collaboration between the Universitäts-Gesellschaft Hamburg e.V. and the University of Hamburg Business School, with support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the European Union. During the one-year programme, around 40 mentees meet regularly with their mentors, who are selected from a pool of over 70 experienced leaders from business and academia. The aim is to share experiences and provide advice in one-on-one meetings in order to prepare the mentees for their professional careers in the best possible way.
In addition, participants come together for comprehensive networking at six events spread throughout the year: a kick-off event, a closing event and the "Young Podium", which addresses students and researchers twice a year with current topics. The "Female Network Meetings" are specifically designed to pass on career tips from women to women.
Dr. Silke Richter from the University Society selects the mentees: "We receive highly qualified applications," says Richter. "It is important for me to get to know the applicants first. To find this out, I meet with the prospective mentees for one-hour interviews. These interviews form the basis for the subsequent ’matching’ with the appropriate mentor." Richter herself has benefited from previous mentoring programmes and knows how valuable an outside perspective can be for young people. "For example, the mentees learn to compare their self-image with how others see them. This can be very helpful in better assessing one's own impact."
Prof. Michel Clement, co-initiator of "Mentoring Moves Careers", transfer officer and professor of marketing & media at the University of Hamburg Business School, emphasises the benefits of early networking: "Especially at a young age, interacting with experienced mentors can help you find your own path. Whether an academic career is more suitable or whether it is better to start a business, perhaps even in the form of founding your own company, mentees usually develop a good sense of this themselves in the course of the discussions and events."
Dr. Tobias Vlćek, postdoctoral researcher, and Antonia Leiße, doctoral candidate, took part in the 2025 mentoring programme. In a short interview below, they talk about what they gained from the intensive support and events.
Further information on the programme and the application process can be found at www.bwl.uni-hamburg.de/en/transfer/karriere-und-talente/mentoring.html or uni-gesellschaft-hh.de/engagement/mentoring/studienmodul/.
Applications for the next round are open until 17 December 2025.
Short interviews
Boris Rostami-Rabet
Antonia Leiße, 27 years old, research assistant in the Marketing and Media Department under Prof. Michel Clement
Why did you apply for the mentoring programme at the time?
I applied for the mentoring programme because I was in the middle of my dissertation at the time and wanted to start thinking about my career orientation early on.
How does it support you in your current job and career planning?
Mentoring has helped me to define my personal values and professional goals more clearly and to reflect more consciously on possible career paths. At the same time, it has given me a certain serenity with regard to my job search, i.e. the realisation that many things develop over time and that not every decision has to be perfect right away.
What were the most important insights from the one-on-one meetings with your mentor?
A key insight from my conversation with my mentor was that when you take a step back and look at your CV from a distance, it often appears very straightforward. In reality, however, there are a multitude of small decisions behind it that branch off from the main path like small branches. These branches may seem significant at the time, but in retrospect they usually fit harmoniously into the big picture. This showed me that not every decision is as groundbreaking as it seems at the time and that one's own path is often more consistent than one thinks.
The mentoring programme includes various events and meetings. Which of these did you enjoy the most and why?
I particularly enjoyed the female mentoring events. A mentor gave a presentation on a specific topic, which then sparked exciting discussions. I found these meetings very inspiring – especially because I realised that many other people share similar experiences.
Why would you recommend young talents to participate in "Mentoring Moves Careers"?
Mentoring supports people in very different phases of their professional orientation. It offers opportunities for those who already have a clear idea of their future path, as well as for those who are still looking for orientation and want to better understand their goals or values. I find the diversity of perspectives and opportunities that mentoring opens up particularly valuable. This allows everyone to find out for themselves which format – group meetings or personal mentoring – suits them better and is more beneficial.
Mirjam Kilter
Dr. Tobias Vlćek, 31 years old, research assistant and postdoctoral lecturer at the Institute for Logistics, Transport and Production under Prof. Knut Haase
Why did you apply for the mentoring programme back then?
Dr. Tobias Vlćek: Two very good friends of mine had already taken part in the programme and had only positive things to say about it. That made me curious. But I was also interested in broadening my perspective and gaining new insights.
How does it support you in your current job and career planning?
The mentoring helped me to reflect on my own planning and develop further perspectives. I already had some ideas for my career planning, but it was very interesting to get another perspective on my own plans, especially from someone with far more practical life experience.
What were the most important insights you gained from your one-on-one meetings with your mentor?
The most important insight was that it is important to be authentic and stand by your own values. You should pursue the things you enjoy and find a way to earn money from them. At the same time, money is by no means everything. Furthermore, when starting a business, it is important to consider how a company is structured and with whom you are founding it. Ideally, you should be open and honest with your founding partners from the outset about how to deal with the situation if you no longer see eye to eye at some point.
The mentoring programme includes various events and meetings. Which of these did you enjoy the most and why?
There were several events organised as part of the mentoring programme by the University Society of Hamburg, and it was exciting to talk to other mentees there. But for me, the best part was the one-on-one meetings, as they focused on personal exchange. @Markus: Thank you!
Why would you recommend young talents to participate in "Mentoring Moves Careers"?
I would recommend the programme to anyone who wants to broaden their perspective and horizons. As a mentee, you are usually at the beginning of your career, and talking to mentors who already have a lot of experience is simply very exciting. It helps you to reflect on your own plans and discover new paths. At the same time, talking about personal goals and motivations allows you to get to know each other very well very quickly and gain someone who supports you.
