The Max Planck Law Mentoring Programme is dedicated to fostering the professional growth and career development of researchers across the network, enabling our researchers to draw insights, inspiration, and support from a nine-month mentoring relationship with one of our alumni. In the inaugural phase of the programme, which is about to conclude, ten dynamic mentor-mentee pairings, representing nearly every Institute within the network, built new and meaningful connections. For participants like Clara Rigoni (alumna) and her mentee Irene Domenici , the programme provided a vital platform to navigate shared professional challenges—particularly the complexities of working within a foreign academic system. This exchange fostered mutual learning. As Clara notes, ‘Don’t expect a one-way street, but a real exchange that enriches both sides’.
Mateusz Grochowski (alumnus) echoes this sentiment, describing participation in the programme as ‘a great opportunity for a rewarding, genuinely reciprocal collaboration’. Meanwhile, his mentee Dorothea Keiter highlights how the commitment itself drove her personal growth: ‘Apart from the advice that my mentor has given me, the responsibility of the mentoring relationship has helped me grow most. It required me to reflect thoroughly on my current situation, as well as the questions and expectations I had for our meetings’.
The programme offers perspectives that extend beyond traditional academic roles, connecting mentees with mentors working in practice, such as lawyers, judges, or officials in international institutions. Another mentee, Cristina Valega Chipoco found particular value in this diversity: ‘As someone interested in both research and public policy, I appreciated being able to discuss non-linear career paths. The programme provided both practical guidance and reassurance that there is no single model for a successful academic career’.
Participants reported significant benefits from the experience, including clarity about career trajectories and next steps, increased confidence and professional courage, acquisition of new knowledge and skills, successful grant and job applications and new research collaborations between mentors and mentees.
Join the Next Cohort
The call for applications for the next cohort is now open. Whether you are navigating research challenges, exploring career options, or looking to expand your academic network, this is a great opportunity to gain personalized support from someone who has walked a similar path. Irene encourages all interested Max Planck Law researchers to seize the opportunity: ‘To anyone thinking of joining the programme, I would say don’t hesitate, it’s beneficial for both you and your mentor’.
Any current Max Planck Law researchers interested in joining as a mentee are invited to complete the application form via this Lime Survey link by 2 August 2026. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Dr Zeynep Çağlar at caglar@law.mpg.de.
Max Planck Law alumni wishing to join our Alumni Network or register as mentors can do so by emailing alumni@law.mpg.de.