Mentoring and sponsorship: re-thinking possibilities for career support

In this interactive lecture, Prof. Dr. Marieke van den Brink (Radboud University, the Netherlands) delves into contemporary insights surrounding gender (in)equality within organizations, shedding light on the pivotal role that informal networking and sponsorship play in shaping (academic) careers. Specifically, the discussion centers around sponsorship practices-an active form of support emanating from influential academics who champion, safeguard, and actively advocate for the career progression of individuals. We will explore the differences between mentoring and sponsorship more in-depth. The focus extends to understanding how we, as (female) academics, supervisors and (future) HR specialists, can become more aware and deal with this inequality mechanism.