Aiming to raise awareness and promote the mentoring service as an key component of the university experience, UIC Barcelona celebrated Mentoring Day for the first time. The event brought mentors and professionals together in a meeting organised on the 22 and 23 January at the Sant Cugat and Barcelona campus, respectively. “The mentoring service encourages students to get to know each other, reflect and be proactive in the development of leadership skills,” explained Esther Jiménez, vice-rector of Community, who welcomed the attendees.
The day began with a presentation on the past, present and future of mentoring at UIC Barcelona, given by Mònica Argemí, director of Personal Development and Institutional Culture, who pointed out that “mentoring is a key part of our commitment to comprehensive education. It helps students to grow not only professionally, but also personally, and prepare to contribute positively to society.”
Then, a round table entitled Compartiendo experiencias y buenas prácticas (Sharing experiences and best practices) allowed mentors from different disciplines to explain their experiences in guiding students. They also shared the challenges they face as mentors and how they approach them so that they can provide their mentees with the utmost warmth and professionalism. The diverse profiles of the mentors—from fields such as medicine, education, communication and engineering, among others—made the dialogue particularly interesting and enriching.
In the words of one of the mentors who participated in the various round tables, Juan José Guardia, lecturer of administrative law: “The mentor is like a beacon that shines a light while sailing and helps the mentee reach a safe harbour and avoid storms. In the vast sea of knowledge, the mentor helps the mentee to navigate safely.”
The event ended with a small gift for the attendees: The book From Temperament to Character: On Becoming A Virtuous Leader by Alexandre Havard, as a token of gratitude for the dedication and involvement of all participants in this key project for UIC Barcelona.
This meeting reaffirms UIC Barcelona's commitment to personalised training and the comprehensive development of its students, highlighting mentoring as an essential tool for fostering excellence, talent and leadership in the society of the future.
