Simonyi Mentorok

MENTORS

One of the most important elements of the Simonyi BEDC Centre for Enterprise Development's entrepreneurial capacity building and development activities is the participation of practitioners in the development of innovative, creative, development and marketable ideas held by individuals, students, researchers, companies as project managers.

In this relationship, the practitioner plays a quasi-mentoring role, not only to guide the direction and course of development and keep it on track, but also to build a possible close link with future economic activity. In other words, the project, which involves the development of a product or service, is as much a learning opportunity for the mentor as it is for the project owner. In addition to facilitating the learning process of the mentored (project owner), the Simonyi Mentoring Programme also has the specific objective of creating new economic opportunities for the socio-economic development of the region.

Mentors are divided into three categories:

Industry-specific practitioners who help the mentees to develop the business or technology of the product and/or service. Registration: https://openup.pte.hu/welcome

2. Academic mentors are teaching/research professionals from the University of Pécs and its partner institutions who can provide professional guidance to the project according to their research. Registration: https://openup.pte.hu/welcome

3. Mentor Assistant is a higher education student who has already participated in the Simonyi Incubation Programme as a mentor or development assistant, and has successfully completed the tasks defined during the programme, thus becoming familiar with the project development process, and is now sharing his/her experience and learning within the Simonyi Ecosystem in a new role as a Simonyi alumni. Registration: https://openup.pte.hu/welcome

What can the mentee expect from the mentors (in person and/or online, via skype communication)?

  • Subject-specific guidance;
  • Business development guidance;
  • A networking system;
  • Inspiration to shape their outlook;
  • Project implementation (subject to positive commitment from both parties);

What the mentee should NOT expect from the mentors:

  • To work for them;
  • To deliver basic concepts instead of them;
  • To be involved in the business implementation.

Simonyi mentor space on openup.pte.hu:

Source: https://openup.pte.hu/mentoring/

The Mentoring section of the Openup.pte.hu platform provides a framework for the Simonyi Centre for Entrepreneurship Development to achieve its primary goal of supporting university-centred entrepreneurial capacity building. In this online mentoring space, students, academics, researchers and practitioners registered on the platform can interact with each other as mentors and mentees. During virtual (chat, video call) meetings, volunteer mentors share their personal experiences with entrepreneurial aspirants. This gives the idea entrepreneurs independent guidance to start their business, without any hidden agenda.

  • The mentors can also be called upon to help entrepreneurs who register outside the regular idea development process.
  • In order to avoid conflicts of interest, the mentor does not take a job or share in the mentored team as a mentor. If you want to invest in the idea, you will have to give up your mentoring role.
  • This condition leaves all the decision-making responsibility in the hands of the mentee, who decides whether or not to follow the advice of the mentors. The mentee accepts that no compensation is due for failure to act on the advice given and acknowledges that he/she is cooperating voluntarily with the mentors, thus excluding the PTE from liability.

The service is free of charge and the Simonyi BEDC Enterpreneurship Center does not claim a share of the mentors' ideas.

© University of Pécs Faculty of Business and Economics