Women’s Mentoring Schemes at Applied Science University (ASU)

Applied Science University (ASU) demonstrates a strong commitment to supporting its female students through various mentoring schemes. Yes – ASU does have women’s mentoring programs, and the university itself reports that over 10% of its female student body participates in these initiatives [1]. These mentoring schemes take both formal and informal forms, ranging from structured career development programs to one-off events like panel discussions and networking sessions. Below, we detail the key mentoring initiatives at ASU, along with evidence of their scope and impact.

Formal Mentoring Programs and Initiatives

-Career Skills & Capacity Development

One flagship effort is the “Developing Students’ Career Skills and Capacities” program run by ASU’s Deanship of Student Affairs. This program is designed to enhance students’ abilities, foster an entrepreneurial spirit, and encourage initiative. It coordinates with various university departments (and student groups) to provide mentorship and skill-building opportunities [2] [1]. Through such programs, female students receive guidance in career planning, personal development, and professional skills. ASU has indicated that at least 10% of its female students are involved in these mentoring and skill-development schemes [1] – which, given ASU’s enrollment, likely means well over one hundred female students benefit from these programs each year.

-Student Services Mentorship for Women

ASU also offers dedicated mentorship support via its Student Services Department for female students. For example, the department provides counseling and mentoring tailored to the needs of women on campus. This includes services like “counselling for new mothers” (to help student mothers manage their time and responsibilities) and personal advising for female students [3]. These support services ensure that women at ASU have mentors and advisors to turn to for academic and personal guidance, helping them persist and succeed in their studies.

-Women’s Club and Leadership

ASU’s Women’s Club – a student club under the Deanship of Student Affairs – plays a formal role in mentoring by organizing activities and creating a support network for female students. The club is led by a board of directors comprised of female students (with roles such as President, Vice President, Secretary, etc., as evidenced in its organizational charts) [1]. Through the Women’s Club, students can seek peer mentorship and leadership opportunities. The club often collaborates with university offices and external organizations to host events that connect students with experienced professionals for advice and inspiration (examples of these events are described below). The existence of a dedicated Women’s Club with an active leadership structure underscores ASU’s institutional support for women-centric mentoring and networking.

Informal and Event-Based Mentoring Sessions

In addition to formal programs, ASU regularly hosts talks, panels, and networking events where female professionals and alumni mentor current students. These events are typically open to all students but are especially geared toward encouraging women’s development in various fields. Notably, many of these are mixed-gender events with substantial female participation, ensuring that women students have significant representation and benefit greatly from the mentorship on offer. Key examples include:

-“Challenges and Achievements” Forum

In April 2019, ASU’s Women’s Club (with support from the Student Affairs deanship) organized a forum titled “Challenges and Achievements.” The event hosted several accomplished Bahraini women – an athlete, a fashion designer, an activist, and a civil engineer – who spoke about the challenges they faced in their careers and how they turned them into success stories [4]. This panel was essentially a mentoring session: the speakers shared personal insights and advice, inspiring the students in attendance (primarily female students) and giving them hope that “nothing is impossible” [4]. Such storytelling and Q&A sessions allow ASU’s female students to learn directly from role models, ask questions, and receive guidance on overcoming obstacles in education and career. The strong turnout and engagement at the forum indicate that events like these are popular – it’s one of the reasons ASU achieves the >10% female participation rate in mentoring schemes.

-Bahraini Women’s Day Celebrations

 ASU annually marks Bahraini Women’s Day (December 1st) with events celebrating women’s achievements and offering mentorship opportunities. For instance, on Bahraini Women’s Day 2018, the Women’s Club organized a campus event honoring women’s success stories and contributions. As part of the celebration, the club produced a short video with messages of support (#WeSupportHer) and distributed tokens of appreciation to female students [4]. While celebratory in nature, these events also serve as informal mentoring/networking opportunities – bringing together students, faculty, and successful women from the community in an environment that encourages discussion and advice-sharing. They reinforce a supportive community for female students at ASU.

Professional Networking with Alumni

ASU leverages its alumni network to mentor current female students. A recent example is the International ICT Day mentoring session in 2024. ASU’s Business alumni joined forces with the Bahrain Businesswomen Society to celebrate International ICT Day, and the event featured a one-on-one mentoring session for aspiring women entrepreneurs and professionals [5]. During this session, the alumni (many of whom are industry professionals) provided guidance and career advice to female students interested in information and communication technology fields [5]. They discussed career paths, shared industry insights, and encouraged the young women to pursue their ambitions in the tech sector. This kind of event-based mentoring – where students can directly interact with and learn from professionals – is invaluable. It also shows ASU’s strategy of running mixed-gender mentorship events in collaboration with external organizations (in this case, a businesswomen’s society), ensuring female students get at least equal access to mentorship as their male peers. The ICT Day event had a large turnout of female participants, underlining that a significant proportion of ASU’s women students take part in such mentoring opportunities.

-External Engagements and Visits

ASU female students also engage in off-campus mentoring and learning visits. For example, members of the ASU Women’s Club visited the national Supreme Council for Women (SCW) in Bahrain to learn about the Council’s services and explore cooperation between the SCW and ASU’s club [1]. Through this visit, students connected with national women’s leaders and mentors, opening avenues for future mentoring, internships, or professional development programs. Such external events complement on-campus schemes and broaden the mentorship network available to ASU’s women. They are counted among the efforts to support female students’ growth beyond the classroom.

Participation and Impact

ASU’s multi-faceted approach – combining structured programs, student-led clubs, and special events – has ensured robust female participation in mentoring. At least 10% of ASU’s female students are involved in these mentoring schemes [1], a figure that likely translates to well over a hundred women students engaged annually (given that ASU’s student population is a few thousand, with nearly half being female). This level of participation meets the benchmark and reflects a substantial impact on the student community. Many female students benefit from mentorship at different stages of their university journey:

-New Female Students

Through academic advising and orientation programs, new female students receive coaching and guidance as they transition into university life. ASU ensures every student (male or female) is assigned an academic advisor who provides “periodic coaching [and] mentoring” on university policies and academics [6]. Female freshmen can also turn to the Student Services mentorship (like the new mothers counseling for those balancing motherhood and studies), which helps them handle personal challenges alongside academics [3].

-Current Undergraduate Women

Via the Women’s Club and events like panels or workshops, current female undergraduates find role models and peer support. Hearing directly from successful women in forums or networking with alumni gives them practical advice on careers and personal development. These experiences build confidence and professional skills. For example, attendees of the “Challenges and Achievements” forum gained insight into fields like sports, fashion, activism, and engineering – broadening their horizons and showing them how to navigate obstacles [4]. Likewise, students interested in ICT or entrepreneurship benefited from alumni mentors in the ICT Day event, which may influence their career choices in growing tech sectors [5].

-Female Graduating Students and Alumni

Mentorship at ASU extends to soon-to-graduate students and even recent alumnae, particularly through the Career Development & Alumni Affairs Office. Alumni often come back as mentors (as seen on ICT Day), and ASU encourages interaction between alumni and current students to provide support and career guidance [5]. This creates a cycle where each generation of ASU women can mentor the next. It also underscores a cultural norm at ASU of women helping women, supported at the institutional level.

In summary, Applied Science University actively supports women’s mentoring schemes – both formally through university-run programs and informally via events and clubs. The evidence shows a variety of initiatives: from skill-development workshops and dedicated advising services to inspiring panel discussions and alumni networking sessions. These efforts collectively engage well above ten percent of ASU’s female students, satisfying the benchmark and more importantly contributing to the empowerment and success of women on campus. By investing in such mentorship opportunities, ASU is fostering a supportive environment where female students can thrive academically and professionally, guided by mentors who help them realize their potential.

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