Students selected for IMNIS mentoring program

Ten Hudson Institute PhD students have been selected for the second year running to participate in the high-level mentoring program, Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS).

IMNIS is a one-year mentoring program connecting motivated PhD students with high-level industry leaders to help break down barriers between industry and academia.

Due to the success of the inaugural program in 2020, the Hudson Education and Training committee has again offered selected Hudson PhD students the opportunity to participate in the program.

Hudson Institute students Nhi Tran, Sigrid Petautschnig, Ingrid Dudink and Alice West (pictured left to right) recently attended the in-person IMNIS 'Engaging with Industry', Victoria event at KMPG, Docklands.

The breakfast event featured a keynote speaker followed by a panel discussion about how, when and why researchers engage with industry and provided real-life scenarios and practical tips about how to engage with industry and how industry works.

Ingrid Dudink said, "Engaging with IMNIS has helped extend my professional network beyond academia and has helped deepen my understanding about potential career opportunities in science and other professional sectors."

Led by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, IMNIS provides Australia's future STEM leaders the opportunity to engage with industry, extend their professional network, strengthen their skills and get advice from an influential industry mentor. Student mentees will gain a better understanding of how industry works and learn about career opportunities in other professional sectors.

After being inducted into the IMNIS program, students are paired with a mentor selected from the Australia Med-Tech and Pharma industry. Over the next 12 months, the students will engage one-on-one with their industry mentors and participate in industry-related career development workshops supported by IMNIS and featuring expert panels.

The mentoring opportunity is supported with funding from the Institute and was initiated by the Education and Training Committee members, Associate Professor Patrick Western, Dr Stephanie Conos and Professor Richard Ferrero.