YU Mentoring Scheme | The Academy of Urbanism

The mentoring scheme is a great programme that brings together Academicians and eager Young Urbanist members to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships.

Young Urbanists can expect to gain senior insight into their industry or research field, receive advice, improve professional skills, and have a clearer understanding of how to achieve the aims they have set for themselves and develop their chosen career path.

As Mentors, Academicians will support the Young Urbanist in the above, and may use the experience to evaluate ideas of their own, work in a different way, gain insights into the emerging ideas in their field, and reflect on their career.

Mentoring Scheme 2024/25

The Mentoring Scheme is an annual programme, which runs from late October to April, for the next cycle, we are currently accepting Mentor sign ups, please click here to apply.

YUs will be notified of the dates for signing up as Mentees in due course.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact YU Coordinator, Roshni Thakker on [email protected]

What do our Mentees and Mentors say?

It has been very valuable… My mentor is always insightful and able to relate to my perspective as a curious interdisciplinarian. The benefit of having a mentor who is a senior member of the AoU (as opposed to a straightforward planner or similar) is that they are able to think beyond professional boundaries and advise accordingly, John, Mentee

I found the Young Urbanists mentorship programme a great opportunity to both learn from young professionals at the start of their careers about new ideas of cities and urban life while having the chance to convey some of my experience in stimulating conversations and new thinking. I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to contribute to their professional development and welcome further opportunities through the Academy of Urbanism. George, Mentor

The mentoring scheme was excellent. I was very grateful for the generosity of my mentor. I was involved in the pilot scheme, so it was a learning process for everyone involved – but I think it works well that way, as different people will want to get different things out of the scheme. I found it particularly helpful to see and discuss my mentor’s work in relation to my own. It was also fantastic to build up a longer term relationship that led to good opportunities such as interviewing my mentor and his colleague for Here & Now. Even now, we are still in regular contact, which might not be the case for all mentorships, but it’s testament to the possibility and opportunity the scheme offers that we are. I’d advise anyone interested to give it a go, and to not be afraid to ask questions and come up with ideas – after all, your mentor has volunteered their time and expertise, so they’ll definitely be keen to help and make the most out of it, Kieran, Mentee