JSC Mentorship Program

The mentorship program helps graduate students make connections (in person, via phone, or via email)
with faculty (with similar interests) from other universities.

Since 1998 the Junior Scholars Committee (JSC) of the International Society of Political Psychology has been operating a mentorship program.

The mentorship program is in place to aid junior scholars in learning the ins and outs of political psychology from those who have paved the way before us. Participants in the program may make connections (in person, via phone, or via email) with faculty and other non-student ISPP members who work in or outside of the university and share similar interests.

The program is divided into two distinct, yet overlapping services. Mentors and mentees may elect to participate in one or both options.

The classic option is the Mentor Tea, held each year at ISPP’s scientific meeting. The Mentor Tea facilitates in-person meetings with mentors and mentees who have been previously matched based on shared research interests.

The other option is to participate in a long-distance mentoring relationship via phone and/or email. This option enables both junior and senior scholars the opportunity to participate even if they cannot attend the annual meeting.

Mentors and mentees are encouraged to develop a fruitful working relationship that fits both parties. Mentees can use this opportunity to ask questions about research, jobs, balancing work and life, etc. Mentors can provide valuable insight into the field as well as learn new information from the next crop of political psychologists. With this in mind, it is important to consider what the mentorship program is and is not designed to accomplish:

The Mentorship Program IS:		The Mentorship Program IS NOT:
►an opportunity for mentees to communicate with an expert in their field. ►an opportunity to exchange emails periodically. ►an opportunity to get occasional advice on where to publish a paper or how to make it more publishable.		►an opportunity for mentees to gain a second advisor to serve on thesis or dissertation committees. ►an opportunity to send daily or even weekly emails. ►an opportunity to send out papers for editing or get a review of everything you write.