Adopting a 'bifocal approach' in Swiss academic mentoring programmes - challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Mentoring programmes have been accused of inadequately addressing organisations' gendered cultures. In reaction to this, mentoring approaches started applying a dual focus, i. e. targetting both individual development and organisational change. This paper explores - through the lens of the 'bifocal approach' - whether and how two Swiss academic mentoring programmes for female advanced doctoral students and early postdoctoral scholars have adopted a a dual focus. The paper shows that the programmes have developed strategies adopting this approach to a certain extent and discusses the challenges and opportunities experienced. 14.02.2014 | Julia Grünenfelder (Luzern)

Keywords

• Approaches to mentoring
• mentoring programmes
• gender equality
• career development
• Higher Education systems