The EASA Academic Mentorship Programme proudly returns for its second year, building on the remarkable success of our inaugural cohort. The overwhelming response to this year’s call has been truly inspiring—we received nearly 70 applications from emerging scholars spanning the globe, from Japan and India to Morocco and Nigeria, and across all corners of Europe and beyond. This exceptional interest serves as powerful testimony to the critical need for accessible mentorship resources in anthropology. The depth and quality of applications we received highlighted not only the talent of our junior colleagues but also the urgent necessity for programmes that democratise access to academic and professional development opportunities. For many applicants, traditional mentorship networks remain out of reach due to geographic, institutional, or systemic barriers—making our programme’s mission all the more vital.
The selection process proved both challenging and humbling. Despite expanding our cohort from last year’s pilot to 25 mentees, we were compelled to make difficult decisions, turning away many good candidates. Recognising that meaningful mentorship should be a collective endeavour rather than an exclusive competition, the EASA Mentoring Committee—comprising Hayal Akarsu, Sultan Doughan, and Panas Karapampas—is developing an innovative solution. To extend our impact beyond the core programme, we are launching a comprehensive mentorship webinar series. These sessions will be recorded and made freely available on our website, ensuring that the wisdom and guidance of our experienced mentors reaches the broader EASA community. This digital resource library will cover essential topics from navigating academic careers to developing research proposals, making professional mentorship accessible to all who seek it. Stay tuned for detailed announcements about our webinar schedule and topics in the coming weeks.
The Mentoring Committee extends profound gratitude to our dedicated mentors, whose generous commitment of time, expertise, and emotional labour forms the foundation of this programme. Their willingness to nurture the next generation of anthropologists exemplifies the collaborative spirit that makes our discipline thrive. We are equally grateful to our mentees, whose fresh perspectives, thoughtful questions, and passionate engagement remind us why supporting emerging scholars is one of our most important investments in anthropology’s future.