Experiences of PhD students and mentors

Here experiences and opinions of PhD students and mentors are reflected to give an inside view of M4M and the realisation of the programme's ideas. (Status: Jan./Feb. 2011)
[On the German site you will find the German statements of mentors.]

Anubha Sagar from India
PhD student since May 2009

My experience

According to me, M4M (Mentorship for Molecular Medicine PhD Students) is a unique effort from the veteran people of Ulm and nearby to assist and support International PhD students or master’s students during their stay in Ulm.

We call them mentors as they help us both officially (opening a bank account, getting enrolled in the University, etc.) as well as personally (learning German, looking for an apartment, accompanying for shopping to the supermarket etc.) during our scheduled stay.  Throughout the study course, M4M organizes activities like Jours fixes, and excursions that gives a nice opportunities to know more about their culture, history, places, food, games as well as get in contact with other mentors, other fellow PhD students and well as master’s students. Occasionally/Annually, we, the students, also organize Indian evening as for example to share our history, culture and Indian buffet with them.

It has been a great experience with both of my mentors (Mrs Heide Rau and Mr. Frank Luwe). I, along with my other friends Jitendra Meena, Garima Jain and Kamayani Singh, found our self really fortunate to have them as our mentors.

Last but not the least; I would like to congratulate Mr. Ralph Schneider who has made fruitful efforts to make this program a success.

Jitendra Kumar Meena from India
PhD student

I want to thank my mentors for taking some time for us. I am lucky to have them as very good friends and supervisors of normal life things here in Germany (for example: solving the problem of house contract, suggesting good places to visit and arranging necessary information, understanding German culture. Frank Luwe is also a good mentor for photography. I am looking forward for further trips and  to photo sessions.

 

Dr. Dorothea Leupold, mentor, Erbach

I’m a pediatrician retired for twelve years. Since 2009 my mentee is Yu Qi from China and since 2010 Tanusree Paul from Bangladesh (together with Dr. Christa Gonnermann).

M4M for me is an ingenious project from two points of view: the young people from foreign countries have the opportunity to get privately into contact to German people, and for me the advantage is that I get contact to young people from foreign countries and learn about their lives.

In my opinion it seems to be important to contact the mentees in advance. The mentors can help e.g. with train connections from airport to Ulm and meet them at the railway station. Particularly during the first weeks the mentees should be guided to help them to overcome their (understandable) home-sickness.


Tanusree Paul, PhD student, Bangladesh

I really appreciate the M4M program. I found it much effective in my personal life for being a new student at Ulm. I am grateful to my two mentors, Dr. Christa Gonnermann and Dr. Dorothea Leupold for their loving care and support. In the very first day I met them in the Ulm main station. And from that day till now they are always beside me like my best friends.

The M4M activities like excursions, Jours fixes and other programs are also very exciting. I think these are great opportunities to meet and share experiences with other mentors and fellow students. In this occasion, I want to thank all mentors in the M4M program for their kind and loving support to all PhD students. I want to give my special thank to Mr. Ralph Schneider for his kind effort for making this program successful.

Questionnaire for the experiences (DOC)