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Partners
Meet the Consortium
Bridges by Mentors is powered by a strong consortium of six partners from across Europe, each bringing unique expertise and experience to the project. Together, we collaborate to empower international students and strengthen local communities through meaningful mentoring. Below, you’ll find an introduction to our partners and key team members, showcasing the diverse organizations and individuals driving this initiative forward.
- Leeuwarden
- Netherlands
- nhlstenden.com
With approximately 24,000 students, NHL Stenden is a globally oriented, medium-sized university of applied sciences offering professional education across disciplines such as healthcare, technology, education, hospitality, and economics. Through a Design-Based approach, students collaborate with public and private partners to tackle real-world challenges.
Committed to personal development and regional social progress, NHL Stenden fosters innovation and contributes significantly to knowledge development. Its strong international connections encourage a broad, global perspective.
Addressing urgent societal needs, NHL Stenden responds proactively to regional education demands. Its Design-Based Education model, supported by an extensive international network, promotes student mobility and creates a dynamic, intercultural learning community. This unique strength enhances its relevance for students, staff, industry, and society.
Connect by being kind and curious! My work in internationalisation shows me that with genuine interest in each other, we can make connections across cultures and generations. Mentoring is an important tool for this and empowers everyone involved: together we can build stronger communities and brighter futures.
Sometimes, mentoring is just as much about learning from your mentees. New perspectives, fresh ideas, and different approaches can teach you just as much as you might teach them.
As a former teacher I have seen that personal connections can have a lifelong impact. Mentoring is a powerful way to make lasting connections.
You know something I don't, I know something he doesn't, and she knows something you don't. Together, our knowledge simplifies mentoring. It's about inspiring each other and building a future of hope, support, and kindness. Mentoring in higher education is essential for creating a connected, inspired, and knowledgeable world for current and future generations.
- Münster
- Germany
- www.aceeu.org
ACEEU is the only globally operating quality assurance body focused on recognising engagement and entrepreneurship in higher education. It strives to lead the way in a new era for higher education by evaluating, supporting, and igniting the potential of HEIs on their path to third mission excellence.
Drawing on its expertise in entrepreneurship and engagement development, ACEEU supports Bridges by Mentors and its stakeholders in enhancing their societal impact. Through established methodologies, it strengthens engagement strategies and promotes meaningful collaborations within the project.
In Bridges by Mentors, ACEEU leads the project’s quality assurance, ensuring its effectiveness and impact. It also provides guidance on the supervision and monitoring of the Mentoring Outreach Programme, assisting HEIs in its successful implementation. Additionally, ACEEU supports dissemination efforts by developing strategies for effectively communicating and sharing project results to ensure a lasting impact beyond the funding period.
As a former teacher and lifelong education enthusiast, I see mentoring as a transformative way to empower others, foster growth, and create lasting impact through shared knowledge and experience.
With a deep fascination for technology, I see mentoring as a powerful tool to empower others, using digital solutions to drive growth, spark creativity, and create lasting change in an increasingly interconnected world.
- Plovdiv
- Bulgaria
- site.bbbsbg.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bulgaria Association is a non-profit organisation, established in 2006, that provides mentoring services to children and youth at risk according to unified international standards.
More than 400 matches have been made in the almost 20-year history of the programme. The Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programme is one of the few professionally supervised models of its kind, making its impact visible, measurable and long-lasting.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bulgaria is the only mentoring organisation in the project consortium. It is involved as a contributor in almost all planned activities, but its main role is to consult the development of project deliverables in terms of the specifics and methodologies of different mentoring approaches. The organization is also contributing to the project with its practical experience in training volunteers for mentors and in supervising mentoring activities.
My passion about mentoring comes from the deep belief in the power of human connection to unlock potential. I see mentoring as a real catalyst for personal and professional growth, bridging gaps in opportunity, knowledge, and confidence.
From a very young age, as human beings, we fail to listen, but we never fail to imitate what those around us are doing. This is why role modelling is the most powerful way to positively influence the lives of others.
- Nicosia
- Cyprus
- unic.ac.cy
The University of Nicosia (UNIC) is one of the leading comprehensive research-oriented universities in the Mediterranean region, committed to teaching, research and innovation, sustainability, societal engagement and contribution to culture. UNIC offers more than 100 conventional face-to-face (on campus) and distance learning online programmes at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degree level, hosting more than 12,500 students from over 100 countries.
UNIC conducts extensive high quality basic, applied, and interdisciplinary research that benefits society on a national and global scale. In the 2025 edition of the THE WUR Rankings, the University of Nicosia (UNIC) has held its rank among the top 501-600 universities globally for the third consecutive year.
Specifically, the University of Nicosia is joint #2 in Cyprus and Greece and among the Top 150 universities in the European Union. It also achieved #1 rank in Cyprus for Research Quality, where the THE WUR recognises it as the leading university in this area.
UNIC has extensive experience in mentoring, having developed a very successful mentoring programme, awarded as the “Community Engagement Initiative of the Year” (First Place) at the 2020 Asia-Pacific Triple E Awards. UNIC was also a partner in the Mentor Your Future Programme between 2020-2023.
My personal motivation for mentoring stems from a desire to give back and positively impact others' lives. Witnessing mentees achieve their goals and overcome challenges is incredibly rewarding.
Human connection and belonging are fundamental human needs that we are wired to seek and satisfy. This connection which lays at the core of mentoring, gives us a sense of purpose, meaning and value in life. I strongly believe that Mentors’ ability to comprehend each other's emotions, celebrate triumphs, and provide support during challenging times to youth is a priceless tool which can be utilized to bring social change, bridge gaps in society and build stronger communities.
- Chambéry
- France
- www.univ-smb.fr
Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB) is a multidisciplinary, human-scale public university located in the heart of the French Alps, between Geneva, Lyon, and Turin. With over 15,000 students and 18 internationally recognized research laboratories, USMB combines academic excellence with strong regional and cross-border engagement. The university offers a wide range of academic programmes, from undergraduate to doctoral level, as well as vocational and lifelong learning options, both on-site and online. Its three campuses—Annecy, Le Bourget-du-Lac, and Jacob-Bellecombette—offer exceptional study environments and personalized student support. Deeply rooted in its territory, USMB maintains strong partnerships with local and international stakeholders, and its research activities are carried out in collaboration with major institutions such as CNRS, INRAE, and CERN. USMB actively supports innovation, sustainability, and societal development, and is committed to preparing its students for the challenges of the 21st century.
As a cross-border university where interculturality is deeply rooted, USMB joined the BRIDGES project to strengthen the integration of international students into the local territory and foster meaningful connections through mentoring.
For me, mentoring offers a unique space for encouragement, trust, and honest exchange. It's a simple yet powerful way to support someone's path and create real, lasting impact.
- Kortrijk
- Belgium
- www.howest.be
Howest is an atypical, creative, innovative and enterprising institution.
By exploring talents and passion, Howest coaches its students to become team-oriented, highly-skilled and directly employable professionals who are able to anticipate developments in our global society. Howest wants to be a leading player in the higher education landscape. Anticipating the future is its leitmotiv and driving force. In interaction with the business world, the government and society, Howest helps steer and shape well-being and prosperity. The organisational model of Howest enables synergy with all stakeholders and projects like Bridges by Mentors. Howest pursues a culture of quality in which students, alumni, work field and staff members actively reflect and participate. As an inspiring knowledge centre, Howest wants to be the reference university of applied sciences for future-oriented, innovative and creative study programmes, valorisation-oriented research and entrepreneurship.
As Howest, we intend to be a valued and contributional partner within the Bridges by Mentors as we highly believe in the added value of the project within our university. We have an employee who dedicates 30 % of his working time to the project and is the spokesperson within the university about the project.
Make a difference and a lifelong impact on (international) students and young people in general!
