Mentor program supports alumni research, networking

Adjunct Professor Colin Brown presents mentoring principles two seminar participants in Indonesia
Adjunct Professor Colin Brown presents mentoring principles in Indonesia

Griffith University has played a major role in the launch of an international mentoring initiative aimed at enhancing research and networking capabilities for Australian alumni.

The Alumni Professional Development Program (APDP) is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is led by Griffith University’s International Business Development Unit in a consortium with Charles Darwin University (CDU) and James Cook University (JCU).

APDP kicked off in Indonesia in May with interactive mentoring workshops in Jakarta and Makassar.Griffith University Adjunct Professor Colin Brown and CDU Associate Professor Greg Shaw presented mentoring principles to participants including high-achieving Indonesian research experts and business and community leaders.

The skills attained at the workshops will be applied towards advancing research and networking capabilities among Australian alumni mentees.

Griffith’s project team — Alumni Engagement Coordinator Ms Anni Bohn, Administrative Coordinator Ms Sharm Aboosally and Systems Specialist Ms Nicole Graham — presented on APDP expectations, online collaboration and the successful delivery of complex workshop logistics.

This was supported by the dedicated program teams from Indonesian partner universities Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Negeri Jakarta and Universitas Hasanuddin.

Associate Professor Greg Shaw at the mentoring workshop
Associate Professor Greg Shaw at one of the mentoring sessions

APDP’s next step will be to begin the mentor-mentee pairing process, followed by Inception Workshops for more than 200 participants in Jakarta and Makassar.

These workshops will be the first time alumni meet their Indonesian mentors face to face, thus providing an outstanding opportunity for collaboration and knowledge transfer.

Their primary objective will be to progress towards a research article for international publication.

APDP will culminate in a two-day international conference in Indonesia in early 2018.

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