Third Workshop on Intersectoral Working

As part of the EU-funded Turku Intersectoral Excellence Scheme (TIES), the Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS) of the University of Turku is holding a series of workshops on the theme of intersectoral working. We take “intersectoral” to mean the coming together and interaction of academics with those working outside of higher education.

We are pleased to announce that the Third Workshop on Intersectoral Working will address the theme of Mentoring. It will take place on Thursday 19 March 2026 at the Calonia Building of the University of Turku.

We will explore mentoring in different contexts such as the public sector, business, politics, and higher education and from two perspectives, the mentor and the mentee. In our programme, a seasoned leader from each context will share their views of mentoring people. We will also hear mentees to get a better understanding of what kind of mentoring is needed. By sharing experiences from different sectors, we aim to get a new, holistic and practical view of the dimensions and complexities of Mentoring. 

The event is free. Please register by 5 March 2026.

Welcome!

PROGRAMME

10.00 Coffee

10.30 Welcome and Opening remarks – Martin Cloonan, Professor and Director of TIAS

10.45 Keynote: “Principles and Practice of Academic Mentoring”  –  Ulrika Maude, Professor, Director of the Centre for Health, Humanities, and Science at the University of Bristol and Professor of Mentoring, University of Turku

11.30 Panel 1: Mentoring from the Mentor´s perspective

Topics: What is good mentoring? Do we need mentoring? Is there a universal mentoring model? Can mentoring be taught? Questions from the Audience.

• Chair: Patrik Anckar, Professor of Practice at TIAS
• Lessons from Public Sector Mentoring by Sinikka Valtonen, HR Director, City of Turku
• Lessons from Academia Mentoring by Juha Teperi, Professor, Tampere University
• Lessons from Business Mentoring by Veera Salokangas, Wellbeing Entrepreneur, Piste Hyvinvointi

12.30 Lunch (at own expense)

13.30 Panel 2: Mentoring from the Mentee´s perspective

Topics: What is good mentoring? Do we need mentoring? How does career stage affect the mentoring process? Questions from the Audience.

• Chair: Martin Cloonan, Professor and Director of TIAS
• Helmi Järviluoma-Mäkelä, Professor Emeritus, University of Eastern Finland, TIAS mentor and Professor of the Year 2019
• Anu Kajamies, Research Fellow, Department of Teacher Education, University of Turku and former TIAS Postdoctoral Fellow
• Elina Valovirta, Senior Lecturer, Department of English, University of Turku and former TIAS Collegium Fellow

14.30 Coffee

14.45 Break out groups: Mentoring discussions, chaired by TIES Fellows

• 5 groups, 20 minutes group work, 5 min presentations
  -    The 3 most difficult mentoring issues in practice and research.
  -    The biggest gaps between mentoring research and practice.
  -    The 3 most important mentoring topics for further research.

15.45    Closing remarks and future workshops