Mentoring: Bosch leaders in dialog with doctoral researchers

“Mentoring means that an experienced individual consciously uses their knowledge, experience, and professional network to sustainably support the professional and personal development of their mentee", explains Ekaterina Deckers, Advisor at the Graduate Academy (GRADUS). GRADUS offers various mentoring programs for early-career researchers at the University of Stuttgart, including the ExploreScience group mentoring. In this program, doctoral researchers exchange ideas with industry leaders. In small groups, participants discuss professional, career, and everyday-relevant topics, share experiences, and receive practical insights. “Mentoring provides the opportunity to navigate one’s career path with greater clarity, uncover new perspectives, and deliberately broaden one’s horizons beyond the familiar," says Deckers.

Broadening perspectives – this is also the aim of "Plattform 12" at the Bosch Research Campus in Renningen. The fully glazed creative space on the 12th floor offers 360-degree panoramic views. The launch of the current ExploreScience group mentoring was held here on December 8. “We are very pleased that, through the mentoring program, we have been able to establish a tradition of cooperation between Bosch and the University of Stuttgart: 85 mentees and 15 mentors have already participated," says Dr. Jürgen Hädrich, Head of the Graduate Academy (GRADUS). “My sincere thanks go to the mentors, who, with their expertise and extensive experience, will accompany and support the doctoral researchers in both their professional and personal development for a period of time."

No fewer than five Bosch executives are serving as mentors in the current round. Their expertise spans the emerging fields of e-mobility, vehicle systems, materials and manufacturing technologies, and biological and chemical system technologies. Most of them have completed a doctorate themselves. "I look forward to sharing my professional experiences. At the same time, I hope to gain many new ideas and insights from the doctoral researchers,” says Dr. Jürgen Rapp, summing up the mentors motivation to get involved. As Head of the "Advanced Technologies for Biological and Chemical Systems" department and Deputy Head of Corporate Research Advanced Technologies, he leads a team of around one hundred employees at Bosch, including approximately 12 doctoral researchers. Rapp, who studied and completed his doctoral degree studies at the University of Stuttgart, believes that a doctoral degree is not just an excellent preparation for a career in academia. “Pursuing a doctorate means engaging intensively with a topic and staying committed throughout the entire process. One learns many skills that are also valuable in industry - such as focused, analytical, and structured work, perseverance, frustration tolerance, and teamwork." One quality is especially helpful for successfully completing a doctoral degree: "A genuine passion for the topic. This fuels motivation, which in turn enables one to navigate even the most challenging phases.”

And what does it take for mentoring to be successful? “As mentees you are the driving force of the mentoring process – your questions, engagement, and input give direction and depth to the exchange," Ekaterina Deckers emphasized at the launch event. The mentees themselves bring forward the topics they wish to work on with their mentor. They are also responsible for organizing and moderating the meetings. To support this, GRADUS provides valuable tips and tools.

After an introduction to the "ground rules" of mentoring, the event moved on to group work. In the four small groups, not only did mentees and mentors get to know each other, but the mentees also connected with one another, as the participating doctoral researchers come from a wide range of disciplines at the University of Stuttgart. “A sense of community quickly developed in our group. The atmosphere was relaxed, allowing for open conversation," says Maren Neubrand, who is pursuing her doctoral degree at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry alongside Tabea Pfister. "I can definitely imagine working in industry after completing my doctoral degree", says Tabea Pfister. “Mentoring provides me with a glimpse into this work environment."

Tharshan Maheswaran, doctoral researcher at the Institute of Space Systems (IRS), is taking part in the group mentoring program for the second time. “Last time it was with Porsche, now it’s Bosch – I really value the opportunity to explore different companies and research environments." Like all participants, he came prepared with specific questions for his mentor. He is particularly interested in topics such as leadership and teamwork, while others focus on receiving tips on job applications, tools for effective project management, or insights into specific research areas at Bosch. Each group will meet with their mentor five times over the next six months to discuss the topics they have jointly agreed upon. “I gained a lot from the last mentoring experience. I can highly recommend the program, especially for those planning to work in industry after their doctoral degree studies", says Tharshan Maheswaran.

The mentoring programs of the Graduate Academy (GRADUS) are open to all early-career researchers at the University of Stuttgart and are tailored to each career phase. 
ExploreScience: In addition to group mentoring, GRADUS also offers peer mentoring for doctoral researchers: Mentees create small groups and take charge of scheduling regular meetings on their own, without a mentor.
AdvanceScience: This two-year one-on-one program is aimed at postdocs, habilitation candidates, and early-career research group leaders. The mentors come from academia or industry.
LiveScience: The program connects junior and tenure-track professors with experienced colleagues at the University of Stuttgart. One-on-one mentoring.