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Connect. Empower. Transform.
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The Hub, Issue No. 4, 19 October 2020
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Welcome!
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Dear partners and friends of Global Talent Mentoring,
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Welcome to the fourth issue of The Hub! We are very excited to share a big update: Mentee applications are now open! Our committed partners from all around the world have nominated exceptionally talented students in STEMM who are now starting to work on completing our online application. Global Talent Mentoring will then choose the top candidates nominated from every country to participate as mentees in our highly selective program. We invite you to read more about this important milestone below. This newsletter also contains highlights from interviews with two fascinating names in STEMM: Prof. Dr. Martin Stratmann, president of the Max Planck Society in Germany, and Prof. Dr. Stéphane Bordas, a leading scientist based in Luxembourg and one of our distinguished mentors. Finally, we would like to showcase some of the organizations from around the world that are supporting Global Talent Mentoring.
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Prof. Dr. Heidrun Stoeger
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Mentee applications are now open!
On 15 October, Global Talent Mentoring invited hundreds of potential mentees from around the world to apply for a spot as a mentee participant. In a first step, each applicant was handpicked by our nominating partner institutions located across the globe. The applicants will now have until 30 November to complete a comprehensive online application that will collect information about the applicants’ STEMM talent and motivation. Once the application period has closed, Global Talent Mentoring will begin the careful process of reviewing the applications and selecting the strongest applicants from each country. Due to the pandemic, Global Talent Mentoring made the tough decision to push back the timing of the application, but in doing so, more of our partners were able to fully participate. We thank our committed partners for their dedication in finding amazing students in STEMM even during this challenging time!
Please note: We are still looking for mentors! All of the exceptionally talented applicants who will be selected need motivated STEMM experts who will mentor them on their paths to becoming STEMM experts themselves!
Volunteer as a mentor!
If you are a STEMM expert (PhD or equivalent, e.g., R&D experience) and would like to mentor an exceptionally talented youth in STEMM, please click on the blue button to register!
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In each newsletter, we highlight supporters of Global Talent Mentoring. This month, we are featuring two very important names in STEMM—both of whom see the potential of Global Talent Mentoring to advance talent development in STEMM globally. One of our researchers, Elke Krüsmann, had a chance to interview these two advocates of talent development in STEMM. You can find the complete interviews on our website.
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Interview with Prof Dr. Martin Stratmann, president of the Max Planck Society
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“The hallmarks of talent are intelligence, curiosity, creativity, the determination to investigate that which he or she considers exciting, and the ability to question the status quo.”
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—Prof. Dr. Martin Stratmann
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The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science e.V. in Germany is home to some of the world’s top researchers. Among the ten institutions worldwide with the greatest number of Nobel Prize winners, two are situated in Europe—the University of Cambridge and the Max Planck Society. As Germany’s leading non-university research institution, the Max Planck Society currently comprises 86 Max Planck Institutes and facilities that each conduct basic research in the natural, biological, human, and social sciences for the benefit of the general public.
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Since 2014, Prof. Dr. Martin Stratmann has been head of the Max Planck Society. The multiple award-winning chemist is a renowned expert in the field of corrosion process research. In an interview with Global Talent Mentoring, Prof. Dr. Stratmann explains how to recognize talent and why the promotion of excellence is so important.
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How do you recognize talent?
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“How does one recognize talent? There is no simple answer to that question. My personal experience is that you recognize talent not based on statistical or bibliometric analyses, but rather when it is standing right in front of you. The hallmarks of talent are intelligence, curiosity, creativity, the determination to investigate that which he or she considers exciting, and the ability to question the status quo. Such talents are usually rare. Recognizing talent depends on personal contact. Only in this way can one recognize passion and drive.”
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How can you provide optimal support in STEMM, especially for women?
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“Outstanding talent support must deliver on the promises of individuality, freedom, and scientific excellence. Above all, senior scientists must demonstrate their trust and confidence in young scientists. They have to offer the security that young scientists require in order to venture into uncharted territory. However, it is not enough to focus on performance. At the same time, it shouldn’t be forgotten that breakthroughs require time and that interim failures are totally normal. In my opinion, an approach such as the Global Talent Mentoring program offers the opportunity to bring young, talented women in contact with a role model and thereby encourage and strengthen their desire to pursue a path in science.”
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Please click here to read our complete interview with Prof. Dr. Stratmann.
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Interview with mentor and distinguished researcher Prof. Dr. Stéphane Bordas
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“Not only does the mentor transform the careers of the students, but also vice versa.”
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—Prof. Dr. Stéphane Bordas
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Prof. Dr. Stéphane Bordas, full professor of computational mechanics at the University of Luxembourg, works at the interface between applied mathematics and applications in engineering, medicine, and biology. He is the team leader of the computational mechanics-focused Legato Team and founded the company Ariana Tech to develop an app for COVID-19. In 2020, the research platform Web of Science recognized Prof. Dr. Bordas for the sixth consecutive time as one of the world’s most influential scientists in its annual list of “Highly Cited Researchers.” Prof. Dr. Bordas—one of Global Talent Mentoring’s notable mentors—shared insights about his breakthrough work and the benefits of mentoring.
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Looking at your career, you did extraordinary things already at a very early age. Was there someone who inspired you? Someone who mentored you?
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“People should invest time. This happened with me from the beginning. When I had my first academic post at the University of Glasgow in 2006, I had absolutely no experience. I was almost like a breastfed baby out of the crib. Then I met Prof. Dr. Nenad Bićanić and Prof. Dr. Chris Pearce. They helped me by allowing me to express myself, but still guiding me without stifling my creativity. They allowed me to develop and learn while making fewer mistakes.”
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How do mentors benefit from working with their mentees?
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“Not only does the mentor transform the career of the student, but also vice versa. If you have a good, self-motivated, hardworking student, you can invest your time in helping him or her become even better. You also have more time to do things where your expertise is really necessary. It is so important when you can rely on people. Prof. Dr. Bhushan Karihaloo recruited me at Cardiff University when I arrived there at a very young age. He fostered my talents based on my potential and not on my results. He trusted me, which was lucky, because it gave me such momentum that enabled me to feel very self-confident. This was the key.”
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Please click here to read our complete interview with Prof. Dr. Bordas.
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Global Talent Mentoring featured by organizations worldwide
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