Since 2017, Prof. Dr. Heidrun Stoeger, Chair for School Research, Development, and Evaluation at the University of Regensburg (Germany) and program director of Global Talent Mentoring, has been working with her international team of researchers and IT specialists to build an evidence-based, long-term mentoring program for the world’s most outstanding young talents and distinguished experts in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical sciences (STEMM).
This active community of young STEMM enthusiasts and distinguished STEMM experts reflects the commitment of an international network of partner institutions to team up with Global Talent Mentoring to improve the global pipeline of STEMM talent development and innovation. This network of 48 collaborating institutions located on six continents is made up of top-tier universities, government ministries, talent-development organizations, and private companies. In a two-step process, these institutions nominated the most outstanding young STEMM talents (about age 16) in their country. To qualify as a nominee, students first had to demonstrate outstanding achievements in and a commitment to a specific STEMM domain. Global Talent Mentoring then systematically identified among the nominees the very best candidates to participate as mentees.
STEMM experts from 30 countries and counting are volunteering as mentors. Heads of university departments, leading postdoctoral researchers, and research and development professionals from cutting-edge companies share their expertise and experience with their mentees. Each mentor works with a mentee through one-one-one mentoring and group projects over an extended period. Mentees stay in the program for up to ten years with the goal of achieving excellence in a specific STEMM field. Every year, an additional cohort of new, outstanding youths and STEMM experts will be added to the existing participants.
Global Talent Mentoring is owned by the UNESCO-recognized Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance (Dubai, UAE). The preparation of Global Talent Mentoring has taken place at the University of Regensburg and has been funded by a four-year research grant by the Hamdan Foundation. The online mentoring program will be systematically evaluated and researched in a follow-up project. Findings will provide valuable new insights on a range of research topics — including STEMM talent development in gifted youths and online mentoring — and be used to make regular enhancements to the program. Global Talent Mentoring is a flagship offering of the World Giftedness Center, a center facilitating comprehensive, evidence-based, gifted education and talent support across all countries and cultures of the world.
Global Talent Mentoring accepts new mentors (PhD or equivalent R&D experience) year-round.
