Women's Career Support Initiatives for Master's and PhD Students Restart

The Equal Opportunities Service is pleased to announce the new start of all initiatives dedicated to support women's careers, and the professional and personal growth of USI female Master’s students, PhD candidates and post-docs: the Academic Mentoring  Programme, the BPW–USI Professional Mentoring Programme and the training programme "She Leads: Empowered Leaders Shaping the Future".

All programmes, developed in collaboration with leading partners in the fields of education and professional networking, aim to promote gender equality, women’s leadership, and the empowerment of young women preparing to embark on their academic and professional journey.

The Academic Mentoring Programme, designed for women and gender minoritised individuals who work at USI as doctoral or post-doctoral researchers, offers support for the  academic journey that is complementary to the framework offered by the individual Faculties, and a personalized guidance in planning one's academic career, perfecting one's knowledge or expanding one's network of contacts in one's field of research.

The BPW-USI Professional Mentoring Program, developed by the Business Professional Women and by the Equal Opportunities Service USI, offers personalised guidance through individual meetings with selected mentors from the BPW network. Its goal is to provide participants with concrete tools to navigate the transition from university to the professional world with awareness and confidence, manage workplace challenges effectively, and achieve a sustainable balance between personal and professional life. The programme is based on a one-to-one mentoring relationship that values direct dialogue and the rich experience of the professionals involved.

The training programme "She Leads: Empowered Leaders Shaping the Future", offered by the Equal Opportunities Service in collaboration with EquiLab, provides a unique learning opportunity to explore the themes of inclusive leadership and women’s professional development. The programme consists of dynamic sessions combining presentations, discussions, simulations, and group activities, fostering active learning and peer exchange.

Through these initiatives, the Equal Opportunities Service reaffirms its commitment to supporting women’s growth in the professional sphere, offering practical tools to face future challenges with confidence and to build career paths founded on competence, self-awareness, and solidarity.

For other USI initiatives supporting careers, see Career & CV Counselling.