Young EFFoST and EHEDG partnered up in 2023 to create the EYE Mentorship Programme. This programme was developed to pair young professionals from academia or industry with experienced people in food science and technology to aid these professionals to further develop and grow professionally (and personally) within this field.
The first round of the EYE Mentorship Programme began in November 2023 at the EFFoST International Conference in Valencia, Spain. We received more than 80 applications from all over the world from which 12 different mentors and mentees were chosen.
This year, the new round of the EYE Mentorship Programme will start with a kick-off event at the 2024 EFFoST International Conference in Bruges, Belgium, followed by separate coaching sessions for mentors and mentees, carried out by specialised professionals. Additionally, a midway event will occur on-site in Europe. There will be workshops for mentors and mentees, networking opportunities, and inspiring keynotes from food science and technology, and beyond. Mentees will be eligible for a travel grant for attending the midway event.
We are now inviting potential mentors and mentees to apply to the new round of applications. Individuals will be chosen following the below mentioned criteria:
Mentees: highly motivated young professionals working in the food industry or academia, i.e. (prospective) PhD students or early-stage Postdocs.
- Committed throughout thewhole duration of the programme
- Seeking input for their personal and professional development
- Ambition to become a future leader in science or industry
- Willingness to work on oneself
- Desire to broaden their professional network
Mentors: professionals from food science and technology (or related) from academia and industry, with at least 5 years of working experience. Prior mentor experience is a plus but not a must.
- Share their personal experiences and advise the Mentees
- Helping the mentees grow, i.e.by focusing on their personal development
- To obtain an open environment for communication, mentors will act in such a way that a non-formal atmosphere is created
If you are interested in becoming a mentee, you can find the registration form here. For those interested in becoming mentors, please send an email to YoungEffost@effost.org. You have time until the 15th of September to apply.
We are looking forward to receiving your application!