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HTWK Leipzig: Mentoring-Programm für Frauen in MINT-Fächern

Mentoring program at HTWK Leipzig that supports female and non-binary students in STEM bachelor programs through tandems with experienced women from academia and industry, plus complementary training and exchange formats.

Who is it for?

Women and non-binary students in STEM bachelor programs

What is the program?

The mentoring program at HTWK Leipzig is aimed at female and non-binary students in STEM bachelor programs and was implemented within the statewide network studienerfolg@saxHAW. Its goal is to promote study success, make role models visible, and strengthen participation in technical and natural science fields.

Objectives

Support for study progression and academic success
Visibility of women's careers and role models
Networking with experienced women from academia and industry
Reduction of barriers arising from socialization experiences or discrimination

Who it is for

The offer is explicitly aimed at female and non-binary students in STEM bachelor programs who wish to benefit from personal exchange, orientation, and professional networking.

Formats and content

Informal tandem exchange: Mentees are paired with experienced women from academia and industry to share experiences and perspectives.
Training and exchange formats: Complementary (inter)disciplinary workshops and discussion rounds to strengthen technical and social skills.
Role-model campaign: Portraits of alumni and professors that make career paths and challenges visible.
Summer School & community projects: Practice-oriented formats such as the Summer School, within which a Community Garden was created as a lasting place for exchange.

Benefits for mentees

Participants gain orientation in study and career, access to networks, insight into career paths, and impulses for personal and professional development. The program explicitly addresses topics such as work–life balance, visibility, and dealing with experiences of discrimination.

Framework and sustainability

The mentoring program was part of the studienerfolg@saxHAW project, carried by several Saxon universities of applied sciences, and was implemented at HTWK Leipzig in the winter semesters 24/25 and 25/26. Some project elements — for example the Community Garden — continue beyond the project period and are being considered for possible permanent integration into university structures.