IEEE Mentorium 2025: Building Blocks for Researchers

The goal of the workshop

The Mentorium aims to support early-career researchers by spreading the initiatives during and after the conference and allowing all COMPSAC at tendees and early researchers to take inspiration for the subsequent editions of COMPSAC. It collaborate with senior professionals to enhance both re search and career development.

Workshop theme

The Mentorium focuses on the vital development of early-career researchers by fostering mentorship, networking, and professional growth. It emphasizes the importance of engaging in voluntary roles like reviewing and organiz ing events, while also providing guidance on securing research funding. By facilitating collaboration with senior professionals, the Mentorium aims to equip participants with the necessary skills and connections to enhance their academic careers and leadership potential.

Scope of the workshop

We invite students, PhD candidates, post-doctoral researchers, and young professionals to participate in a series of activities designed to enhance their academic and professional objectives. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Collaboration with the Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This collaboration will enhance networking opportunities, provide a broader platform for presenting work, and create a unified experience for early-career researchers.
Panel Discussion with Senior COMPSAC Volunteers The symposium will host a panel featuring experienced COMPSAC volunteers, including Dr Sorel Reisman and Dr Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed They will share their history with COMPSAC, IEEE Computer Society, and volunteering, offering insights and advice to participants on professional development and the benefits of volunteering.

Junior Discussant Program

Participants will have the opportunity to act as junior discussants by identi fying papers, symposia, or workshops in their areas of interest and preparing questions or comments in advance. This initiative encourages active engage ment and enriches conference discussions.

Training and Mentoring Sessions

We will provide training sessions focused on presentation skills, academic paper writing, and volunteering within IEEE and COMPSAC. These sessions will be led by experienced professionals, including Prof Dave Towey, designed to enhance participants’ skills and confidence.

Demo and Poster Sessions

Participants can showcase their projects and prototypes during demo and poster sessions. These sessions will take place during coffee breaks, providing opportunities for informal discussions and direct engagement with presenters.

Guidance on Grants and Funds

We will offer guidance on securing grants and financial assistance, possibly through information sessions or by connecting participants with potential sponsors and funding bodies.

Incorporate Senior Researchers

Involve senior professionals and their labs in future panel discussions and academic mentoring, creating an ongoing cycle of support for the next gen eration of researchers.

Mentorship Programs

We will facilitate mentorship and career development by pairing participants with experienced professionals based on their interests. Structured mentor matching, workshops, and post-conference follow-up will support ongoing professional development.

First-Day Networking Luncheon/Dinner

An optional lunchtime or dinnertime activity on the first day of the conference will be organized to help participants connect with peers and mentors. This informal setting facilitates early networking opportunities and eases participants into the conference environment. (cost not covered by COMPSAC)

Expected Submissions

We encourage a range of contributions to Mentorium 2025. Depending on the nature of your work or ideas, you may submit them either as formal materials or as informal proposals.

Formal Submissions

These submissions will undergo a review process and, if accepted, may be included in the official conference proceedings (subject to COMPSAC guidelines).
• Workshop Papers: We welcome advanced research ideas and ongoing work broadly related to Computer Science (e.g. AI, Software Engineer ing, Security, Big Data, etc.), particularly those showcasing innovation and creativity from early-career researchers.
• Posters and Demos: Showcasing research projects, prototypes, or preliminary findings in computer science or closely related fields.

Informal Proposals

These are suggestions and ideas for discussions, roundtables, or interactive sessions, which will not appear as formal publications but will be incorporated into the workshop program if accepted.
• Methods for training early-career researchers to be effective reviewers.
• Ideas for preparing PhD students for diverse career paths.
• Strategies for training early-career researchers as reviewers.
• Methods for effective mentorship at different career stages.
• Case studies on mentorship success stories and challenges (non-academic write-ups or presentations).
• Approaches to making academic mentorship more inclusive and accessible.
• Initiatives that foster academic volunteering and leadership.
• Ways to strengthen networking opportunities for early-career researchers.
• Case studies on career transitions from PhD to postdoc or industry.
• Strategies for overcoming challenges in academic career growth.
• Case studies on how workshops have led to research collaborations.
• Approaches to maintaining long-term mentor-mentee relationships.
• Ideas for hosting informal meetups or dinners to build professional con nections.
• Concepts for post-workshop engagement (online communities, follow up meetings).
Submission Process:
• Formal (publishable) submissions must follow COMPSAC’s stan dard guidelines and be submitted via the official portal. Please consult the COMPSAC website for further instructions on formatting, dead lines, and review criteria.
• Informal proposals (discussion topics, session ideas, or other inter active formats) can be sent via email to the Mentorium organizers or through the provided online form (details to be announced on the con ference website). These proposals will be reviewed for relevance and integrated into the workshop programme where appropriate

Workshop organizer(s)

Silvio Meneguzzo
University of Turin, Brunel University of London, Links Foundation
Email: silvio.meneguzzo@unito.it

Geeta Mahala
University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
Email: gm168@uowmail.edu.au

Teodoro Montanaro
Università del Salento Ryo Nakamura, Fukuoka University, Japan
Email: teodoro.montanaro@unisalento.it

Ryo Nakamura
Fukuoka University, Japan

Workshop Advisor(s)

Prof. Dave Towey
University of Nottingham in Ningbo, China
Email: dave.towey@nottingham.edu.cn

Program Committee

Silvio Meneguzzo
University of Turin, Brunel University of London

Claudio Schifanella
University of Turin, Italy

Stelvio Cimato
Università degli Studi di Milano

Alfredo Favenza
Research Center Links Foundation, Italy

Aaron Pereira
University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

Alex Norta
Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia

Smita Jhajharia
RMIT University, Australia

Andrea Pelosi
University of Pisa, TU Wien

Elvis Konjoh Selabi
Gran Sasso Science Institute

Lorenzo Benetollo
Ca’ Foscari University

Emanuele Antonio Napoli
Politecnico di Torino

Alberto Butera
Politecnico di Torino

Abdul Mutakabbir
Carleton University

Paper Templates

IEEE Paper templates are available in MS Word 2003 and LaTex. All submissions must use US 8.5×11 letter page format.

IEEE Conference Publishing Policies

All submissions must adhere to IEEE Conference Publishing Policies.

IEEE Cross Check

All submission will be screened for plagiarized material through the IEEE Cross Check portal.