Call for Mentors on ERUA key areas

The European Reform University Alliance (ERUA) is seeking experienced professionals and academics to join our pool of mentors. As an ERUA mentor, you’ll have the opportunity to guide and inspire the next generation of social innovators across our network of European universities.

Thematic Areas/ Social Challenges

  • Migration, Exile & Refugees
  • Environmental Transition
  • Democracy and Human Rights, Inclusion, Gender Equality.
  • Interculturality, Multilingualism
  • Arts & Edges
Immediate Opportunity: #Hack4impact Hackathon 2025

Check for more information on the official Call Announcement:

Call for Mentors | erua-eui.eu

More about the Call for Mentors & Opportunities

Immediate Opportunity: #Hack4impact Digital Hackathon 2025

Mentors Needed for ERUA #Hack4impact

Join the ERUA Expert Pool – Empower Regional Impact!

Apply now!

The University of the Aegean, in the framework of the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA), together with the North Aegean Regional Development Fund and the European Digital Innovation Hub for Digital Governance (GR digiGOV-innoHUB), co-organizes the ERUA Digital Hackathon 2025: Hack4Impact (Oct 2025), aiming to drive digital innovation, public sector reform, and entrepreneurship aligned with the UN SDGs.

We are inviting experienced professionals and experts in ERUA key areas to join us as mentors and guide participants throughout this exciting hackathon!

What is ERUA Hack4impact

Hack4impact is a Digital Hackathon that connects entrepreneurship (including social) with digital public sector reforms, skills, and alignment with the SDGs. This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between ERUA, the North Aegean Regional Development Fund, and GR digiGOV-innoHUB.

Hack4impact Goals

  • Encourage collaboration between universities, civil society, and public authorities in prototype development and start-up creation.
  • Support university-led reforms and tools in public services for regional skills’ development.
  • Promote digital innovation in regional governance.
  • Provide a launchpad for entrepreneurial and social business ideas that foster SDG implementation and creative interregional knowledge communities.

Key Info

  • Hackathon Dates: October 22 – 23, 2025
  • Mentorship Period: September 30 – October 20, 2025
  • Format: Fully digital (online mentoring)

Why Mentors’ Expertise Matters

We welcome experienced professionals, academics, and innovation-driven stakeholders to join our Pool of Mentors, supporting teams working on three core Hack4impact challenges:

  • Challenge 1: Building tomorrow’s talent economy based on regional skills gaps
  • Challenge 2: Better Governance of the Public Sector through Inclusive Digital Reforms
  • Challenge 3: Inclusive and Sustainable Development through University Excellence

Please read the Terms & Conditions of #Hack4impact for more information.

Expertise Sought

We are looking for mentors with expertise in one or more ERUA key areas:

  1. Environmental Transition
  2. Democracy & Human Rights, Inclusion & Gender Equality
  3. Interculturality & Multilingualism
  4. Migration
  5. Arts & Edges

This expertise should connect with the hackathon’s themes such as Regional Skills Development, Social Entrepreneurship, Digital Reforms in Public Sector, and Regional SDGs Alignment.

Mentors’ Profile

  • Experience in one or more key thematic areas & challenges
  • Prior experience in mentoring
  • Passion for innovation in higher education & the public sector
  • Commitment to fostering inclusive and diverse learning environments

Mentors’ Responsibilities

  • Guide selected applicants in refining their business or prototype ideas
  • Help participants transform concepts into feasible, impactful prototypes
  • Support applicants in aligning projects with relevant SDGs and regional needs
  • Engage in 1–3 short mentoring sessions with assigned applicant(s)

Mentoring Format

  • Asynchronous feedback on materials
  • Live online sessions (e.g., Zoom, Slack)

Mentors’ Benefits

Selected mentors will become part of our expert pool and can benefit from various ERUA activities such as:

  • Workshops, seminars, and follow-up events
  • Social Entrepreneurship activities
  • Ideathons & Hackathons, Biennales, DigiTalks & Science Cafés
  • Student and staff mobility programs
  • Research collaborations
  • Curriculum development

Applications

You can apply to become an ERUA Mentor by filling out the online application form:

Application Form for ERUA Mentors

#Hack4impact Mentors Deadline: September 24, 2025. Mentors who apply by this date will be eligible to participate. The call will remain open for ongoing submissions after this date.

Mentors previously registered through #ERUAiDeaThon2024 will remain eligible unless they choose to withdraw.

You can explore our continuously updated and expanding list of mentors on the dedicated “Pool of Mentors” website: https://ecos.erua-eui.eu/info/erua-mentors/

For any additional information you may need, please contact us at erua-eui@aegean.gr.

Previous Opportunity: ERUA iDeaThon 2024

Our upcoming #ERUAiDeaThon2024, “The Alternative Entrepreneurship Challenge”, will address two specific themes:

  • Migration, Exile & Refugees
  • Democracy and Human Rights, Inclusion, Gender Equality

As a mentor, you can play a crucial role in coaching teams of students and early-career researchers during the iDeathon, scheduled for November 25-26, 2024. You would spend a few hours during the weeks of November 11-15, 2024, and/or November 18-22, 2024, helping to form teams, develop one of the selected ideas, or coach the relevant team. You can choose to collaborate with the group either through synchronous online sessions or asynchronously, depending on what works best for you.

More about the terms and conditions for participation in ERUA iDeaThon 2024 you can discover here:  https://erua-eui.eu/2024/10/22/erua-ideathon-2024-the-alternative-entrepreneurship-challenge-call-for-ideas/

 

Long-term Opportunities

Beyond the ERUA iDeaThon 2024, selected mentors will become part of our expert pool, potentially benefiting from and contributing to various ERUA activities such as:

  • Workshops and seminars
  • Research collaborations
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Ideathons & Hackathons
  • Curriculum development
  • Student and staff mobility programs

What We’re Looking For

As an ERUA Mentor, you may have:

  • Experience in one or more of ERUA’s thematic areas
  • Prior experience in mentoring new ideas in social entrepreneurship
  • Passion for innovation in higher education
  • Commitment to fostering inclusive and diverse learning environments

Benefits of Becoming an ERUA Mentor

  • Contribute to shaping the future of European higher education
  • Expand your professional network across Europe (e.g., research clusters, teaching seminars)
  • Engage with cutting-edge ideas and innovative projects
  • Opportunities for collaborative research and publications

How to Apply

Fill in the online application form: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/erua-call-for-mentors

Application Deadline:

First Deadline: November 4th, 2024. Mentors who apply by this date will be eligible to participate in the #ERUAiDeaThon2024. However, the call will be OPEN for ongoing submission of applications after this date.

 

 

Join us in our mission to transform European higher education and nurture the next generation of change-makers!