At the heart of the programme are the small group meetings with a doctoral candidate as mentor. The groups of 4 to 6 students meet regularly in a confidential setting and discuss the topics of their choice with their mentor. The group decides independently where and how often the meetings take place. At the beginning of the programme, there is a kick-off event and an introductory workshop to get to know each other and set goals.

The small groups are divided up by the programme coordinator. We ensure that the groups are as heterogeneous as possible in terms of subject areas. People who already know each other well are assigned to different groups so that all members have the same starting conditions. This gives all mentees an insight into other disciplinary cultures and expands their own network through new, interdisciplinary contacts.