If you are not able to be funded by your institution, there is a limited budget to provide scholarships in the form of reimbursement to cover expenses to the highest ranked accepted proposals. A limited number of participants will be funded.

Expenses include transportation (over 100 km), and a per diem amount which covers accommodation, local travel (under 100 km) and meals.

Attention: the costs are reimbursed only after the event, so they must be laid out first by the accepted participant.

Applicants who are successful but unfunded due to budget limitations are welcome to secure their own funding (Erasmus, other funding) to attend the Event. These applicants will be informed and invited to make their own financial arrangements.

Call opens: 10 January 2025 (the link will be announced soon)

Proposal deadline: 31 January 2025

Decision communication: 28 February 2025

Registration deadline: 14 March 2025 (the link will be announced soon)

There are TWO ways to participate in the event: by submitting a PechaKucha/PowerPoint presentation OR by submitting a motivation letter:

OPTION 1: PechaKucha/PowerPoint presentation

We welcome proposals for PechaKucha/PowerPoint presentations which will be delivered by successful applicants during the event. Contributions with the highest scores will be selected. Proposals need to be maximum 200 words and will be assessed by the organising committee and ranked (1-5) according to the following criteria:

1. Relevace to the theme of “Mentoring for Inclusive Research Culture”

Proposals should clearly align with the event’s focus on mentoring and its role in shaping inclusive research cultures and gender equality, showcasing experiences, practice-based approaches, or research-based findings.

2. Originality and innovation

Preference will be given to proposals that present fresh ideas, unique perspectives, or creative solutions related to mentorship, such as programme designs, unconventional mentoring models, or impactful evaluation methods or findings.

3. Clarity and engagement

The proposal should demonstrate a well-structured narrative that can captivate the audience within PechaKucha/PowerPoint format. Submissions should outline key points in a clear, engaging, and accessible way.

No actual presentations are required at this stage.

OPTION 2: Expression of interest to attend as a participant

We also welcome all mentorship stakeholders (mentorship managers and coordinators, personal development officers, mentorship researchers, mentors and mentees) to submit an expression of interest to attend.

Express your motivation to participate in the Event.

How will the Event support your professional development, be it in the role of a mentorship coordinator or manager, or personal development officer, etc.?

How will the Event help you develop networking opportunities for improved practice or research?

The organising committee will rank (1-5) the submissions according to the following criteria:

1. Motivation for attendance

The applicant provides a compelling and well-articulated explanation of why they wish to attend, highlighting their interest in mentoring, gender equality, and inclusive research cultures, acknowledging a European dimension.

2. Alignment with research or professional goals and aspirations

The applicant demonstrates a clear connection between the event’s focus and their own research, career aspirations, or professional development, showing how participation will enhance their work or impact.

3. Quality and clarity of expression

The submission is thoughtfully written, demonstrating clear, concise, and effective communication that reflects the applicant’s enthusiasm to engage and contribute in the event.

Call opens: 10 January 2025 (the link will be announced soon)

Proposal deadline: 31 January 2025

Decision communication: 28 February 2025

Registration deadline: 14 March 2025 (the link will be announced soon)

Dr. Daniela Vasilica Burghilă is the General Director in General Structure of Higher Education within Ministry of Education.  She is also Associate Professor Dr. at University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Faculty of Land Reclamation and Environmental Engineering. She shas been previously General Director in Management of University Programs Structure and In University Titles Structure. Her research area is Environmental Engineering,  Ecology, Sustainability and Land Reclamation.

Luminita Popescu is the State Secretary at Romanian Agency for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men, a specialized central public administration institution subordinated to the Ministry of Family, Youth, and Equality of Opportunities. The Agency is responsible for the elaboration, coordination and enforcement of governmental strategies and policies in the field of equal opportunities between women and men and in the prevention and combating of domestic violence and it aims to promote equal opportunities and treatment between women and men with a view to eliminating all types of sex-based discrimination and preventing and combating domestic violence, by implementing measures, policies and programmes tailored to the victims’ needs.

Ms. Popescu has represented Romania in the works of Generation Equality Forum organized by the United Nations (UN) Women where she had an intervention about Cooperation to Action: Reducing Gender Inequalities to Strengthen Social Cohesion in Latin America and Europe.

She has a Master degree on Human Rights and Bachelor studies in Law and in Humanitieshe is member of the National Body of Experts in Educational Management.

Prof. Dr. Eng. Remus Zagan is the President of Constanta Maritime University Senate. He is experienced professor with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. He works in many national and international research projects as researcher or project manager. He is skilled in Cyber Security, Analytical Skills,  Computer Science and Computer-Aided Design (CAD). He has strong education professional with a higher focused in Industrial Engineering from Polytechnic Institute  „Gheorghe Asachi“ from Iasi. He was expert researcher in the project “E-Maritime Medicine for seafarers’ students and seamanship physicians, a part of the International Association of Maritime Universities’ Capacity Building Project. He was also expert in projects of internationalization, employment of students on labour market and entrepreneurship in South East region.

Prof. Dr. Gabriel Raicu is the Rector of Constanta Maritime University. He is also the President of the Cyber Security Cluster of Excellence (CYSCOE) and the Director of the Excellence Center in Maritime Cybersecurity. He teaches Navigation in special conditions, transport data base and cybersecurity applications. In the late 1990s, he was among the pioneers who introduced virtualization at Constanta Maritime University. He firmly believes that artificial intelligence-centered activities hold immense potential for future research and development and a realistic approach to cybersecurity is imperative due to the significant risks associated with the transition to Industry 4.0 and beyond.

Dagmar Höppel holds a degree in economics and a Ph.D. in Social Science. She was the head of the Office of the Conference for Gender Equality in Higher Education (LaKoG) for the State of Baden-Württemberg at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Since 1996 she is active in several regional and national committees for equality in higher education. She developed the concept for several (funding) programs that support women in higher education, which were implemented by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts in Baden-Württemberg. MuT-Mentoring and Training – her Mentoring-Program – was founding-member in the EU-funded Eument-Net-Project and also founding member of Eument-Net-Association. She is still active in diffent boards and associations.

Contact:
Dr. Dagmar Höppel

Member of the eument-net Executive Board
Head of the kite-mentoring program,  University of Freiburg, Germany
Associate Professor, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (USAMV), Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Evelyn Ruşdea is a distinguished scientist, project manager and mentoring coordinator with extensive expertise in both academic research and career development. Originally from Romania, Evelyn earned her degree in biology from Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca before pursuing her PhD at the University of Münster, Germany. Following her doctoral studies, she joined the Institute for Landscape Management at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where she has made significant contributions in the fields of land use, landscape development, and monitoring of biotopes and species.

Her dedication to advancing women in natural and life sciences is evident through her leadership of the kite-mentoring program at the University of Freiburg since 2013. Under her guidance, this program has grown into a thriving network of more than 300 participants, empowering women to achieve their personal and career goals. Evelyn has been an active mentor for women in various initiatives for over 15 years and has been an integral part of the eument-net since 2017. As part of the organizing committee of this conference in Constanta, Evelyn sees this event as a pivotal opportunity to establish a long lasting network for mentoring programs at Romanian universities, paving the way for women to empower their academic and research careers.