The ABCD of EntryPoint Mentoring Programme
The Origin of Mentoring in Odyssey
The concept of mentoring is prevailing and widespread in the contemporary world. However, the origin of mentoring can be traced back to ancient Greece after the character Mentor, a major figure in the Homeric legend of Odyssey.
In the Odyssey, King of Ithaca ‘Odysseus’ leaves his young son ‘Telemachus’ in the care of his friend ‘Mentor’ while going off to war with the Trojans. Over two decades that follow, ‘Mentor’ takes on the role of a teacher, role-model and counselor of Telemachus (Homer, 1969).
The ABCD of EntryPoint Mentoring Programme
In contemporary history, mentoring has evolved to reflect the demands of the age from individual through institutional to nationwide level, especially in the US and UK. However, the EntryPoint Mentoring Programme aims at taking one step further and pursues a reciprocal partnership between mentor and mentee in cross-cultural context, rather than one-way knowledge transmission from senior to junior.
How to make it happen? That’s the ABCD of EntryPoint Mentoring Programme.
Audacity to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Since “Internationalize or die” slogan has taken hold of Finland in the 1990s, Finland is no exception to this undoubtedly inevitable trend. Over last two decades, Helsinki has increasingly become a multiethnic and multicultural city, and the number of city residents with a foreign background reaches almost 15 per cent in 2016 (City of Helsinki Research Report 2016/12). But then again, we have to admit that internationalization per se is quite young in Finland, so it can be rather rapid and radical changes from some Finns’ perspective. Therefore, EntryPoint gently encourages Finnish professionals and partners to step out of their comfort zone, and cordially invites them to our cross-cultural mentoring partnership.
With the audacity to step out of your comfort zone, EntryPoint is a platform where you can start enjoying the new waves of internationalization with international talents.
Beyond Boundaries
In October 2016, EntryPoint 2016 begun with 92 participants from 28 countries. In addition to the ethnic and cultural diversity, our participants are from a wide-range of disciplines and professions, from private, academia to public sector. EntryPoint mentors and mentees are invited to five times collective meetings where they can optimize the given opportunity to go beyond the familiar to expand their professional network and knowledge. Likewise, the collective meetings are expected to become a hub of knowledge where Finnish HEIs and enterprises can reduce the gap, collaborate closely and empower themselves together to attract, retain and manage diverse workforce.
Beyond the boundaries of your educational background, business interest, connections and ethnicity, EntryPoint provides a collaboration platform where our participants and partners can connect, discuss, exchange knowledge and develop initiative.
Complement to Each Other
Diversity plays a vital role in our cross-cultural mentoring programme, and EntryPoint highlights the truth that difference does not mean inferior/superior nor wrong/right. As if many different musical instruments create a stunning harmony in the orchestra, our participants benefit from different cultures, different generations, different domains and different perspectives. Finnish mentors closely interact with international talents, help them get access to the silent and scattered information about Finnish labor market, reinforce their employability in order for them to find their niche competitive edge in Finnish society and economy. Likewise, international mentees add value to Finnish professionals and partners in various ways, such as how to cultivate multicultural competences in dealing with increasing international consumers, how to accelerate efforts to internationalize the work force, and how to benefit from international talents prior to taking your business into new foreign markets.
Kaksisuntainen Kotoutuminen. As a two-way integration, EntryPoint mentors and mentees get to know each other, learn from one another and grow up together. That’s how they complement each other and enlarge our societal and economic pie together.
Dynamics of Diversity
In a nutshell, EntryPoint Mentoring Programme is all about the benefit of dynamics of diversity. As a reliable and inspiring facilitator, EntryPoint continues to be agile enough to respond to the needs and interests that emerged among the participants and partners. Dozens of different thematic groups add dynamic features to our cross-cultural mentoring programme, and it enhances trustworthy partnerships with our partners and participants. EntryPoint will consistently encourage and support our mentors and mentees until they will reach their potential and accomplish their shared goals through the cross-cultural mentoring partnership.
Enter the EntryPoint 2017
So, now it’s your turn. Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone, to go beyond your boundary and to benefit from the dynamics of diversity? Welcome to join EntryPoint 2017.
Shania Shin
Mentoring Programme Officer