Social networking is an important aspect of successful career planning. In addition to our mentoring programs aimed at various target groups, we also offer a GRADUS-Lounge (formally MentoringLounge) twice a year for current and former mentees and mentors as well as collaboration partners. This provides numerous opportunities to establish and maintain relevant contacts.
Driving Innovations
The next GRADUS Lounge will take place on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 starting at 6:00 pm at ARENA2036 on the Vaihingen Campus. We are very excited to host this networking event in cooperation with ARENA2036 and the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ENI).
Networking in Hybrid Times
In the last GRADUS Lounge on December 2, 2021, Dr. Simone Burel, researcher and successful managing director of LUB GmbH - Linguistische Unternehmensberatung, has been our guest. She spoke about how networking works in hybrid times and its potential. Dr. Burel reported on her experiences at the interface between science and business and provided valuable insights, tips and tricks into the hybrid form of network building and maintenance in various online communities.
Imposter Syndrome
The first digital GRADUS-Lounge took place Friday, June 26th 2020. Former and current mentees, mentors and guests were invited to learn about Impostor Syndrome from our keynote speaker, Mrs. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Ute Gietzen-Wieland.
Mrs. Gietzen-Wieland has been working as a personnel consultant, career coach, potential diagnostician and management trainer for well-known national and international personnel and career consulting companies for over 20 years. In 2015, with the official permission of Prof. Dr. Pauline Rose Clance (Georgia State University, Atlanta), she translated her English language questionnaire "Clance Impostor Scale" into German.
With the guided expertise of Mrs. Gietzen-Wieland, attendees were able to understand what Impostor Syndrome is, received tips on how to overcome this feeling and learn that everyone experiences this at some point in their life, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, status, profession, etc.
The Art of Leadership
The second GRADUS-Lounge took place on Tuesday, December 8th 2020, where the topic “The Art of Leadership” was presented by Mrs. Kathrin Keune. Many guests were in attendance, including new mentees and mentors of the LiveScience Mentoring-Program 2020 Cohort, as well as current and former mentees and mentors.
Mrs. Keune, founder and CEO of Artsbased Solution, is a counselor, expressive arts therapist and mezzo-soprano. As a coach, she accompanies professors of German universities, leaders of the Max Planck Society as well as companies in questions of leadership, corporate development and professional communication. The artistic methodology provides the central framework for finding new and surprising solutions.
Participants were invited into a "community art process". Closely guided by Mrs. Keune, they used their space at home to approach the topic through artistic play. By getting into motion and using the mind and body, thought-provoking impulses emerge that would otherwise not be possible.
Attendees learned that good leadership means first and foremost to be self-aware and to remain capable of acting in any situation. Participants had the opportunity to experience and sharpen their own understanding of leadership and their own style.
Ekaterina Deckers
Coordinator Mentoring Programs