Launch Event: Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Programme

On 12 April 2021 the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP), with the support of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium, held the Launch Event of the Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (YWNPD) Mentorship Programme.

The YWNPD Mentorship Programme, which is organized in the framework of the YWNGI Initiative, pairs 19 young women (mentees), carefully chosen through a highly-competitive selection process, with well-established experts (mentors) to engage in a mentoring relationship that envisions, among other things, regular video-conferencing sessions. Mentees are also expected to attend conferences, seminars, social events, and other activities to be exposed to networking and career opportunities.

The launch event was opened by VCDNP Executive Director Elena Sokova and EUNPDC Chair Sibylle Bauer. After organisers laid out expectations for the programme, a round of introductions followed. The launch event concluded with a keynote address by Laura Rockwood, Director of the Open Nuclear Network and member of the YWNGI Advisory Board. Aside from mentors and mentees, the closed-door event was attended by members of the EUNPD Consortium, of the YWNGI Advisory Board, and by representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI).