Mentor

Mentor

Department: Institute of Public Policy and Administration (IPPA)

Reports to: Associate Director IPPA

Type of contract: Service
Duty station: Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Deadline: 14 September, 2026

Purpose of the Role

The Mentor will support Afghan women participating in the AWAKE online training programme, which includes four modules: Digital Literacy and AI, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, and Cybersecurity. The Mentor will work closely with participants to help them successfully complete the training and secure remote employment opportunities.

Why Join UCA?

• Impactful Teaching and Research: Contribute to an academic institution that is dedicated to fostering innovation and development in Central Asia and beyond.
• Collaboration and Growth: Be part of a diverse, interdisciplinary academic environment, with opportunities for collaboration and research across multiple fields of societal relevance.
• Regional Leadership: Lead the development of innovative solutions to regional challenges in climate adaptation, sustainable development, technology, data science, and digital policy.
• Support for Female Scholars: UCA is deeply committed to supporting all scholars in all fields, providing opportunities to further advance gender equity in academia.

• UCA Background:

  The University of Central Asia (UCA) was founded in 2000 as a private, not for profit, secular university through an International Treaty signed by the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV; ratified by their respective parliaments and registered with the United Nations. The Presidents are the Patrons of the University and His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V is the Chancellor. UCA’s mission is to promote the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain communities, by offering an internationally recognized standard of higher education and enabling the peoples of the region to preserve their rich cultural heritage as assets for the future. UCA is distinguished by its three schools: the undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), the Graduate School of Development (GSD), and the School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE). For more information: www.ucentralasia.org

• Main duties and Responsibilities

• Provide ongoing mentoring and career guidance to women enrolled in the AWAKE programme, with a focus on helping them identify and obtain suitable remote and online work opportunities.
• Organise and facilitate regular online group and individual meetings (e.g. via Zoom, MS Teams, or similar platforms) to monitor progress, address challenges, and motivate participants.
• Maintain contact with program trainers to understand course content, expectations and requirements for participants, and use this information to more effectively support participant learning.
• Support participants in developing practical employment skills, including online job search, CV and cover letter preparation, interview skills, and professional online communication.
• Build links with potential employers, platforms, and networks that offer remote work suitable for programme graduates and share these opportunities with participants.
• Track each participant’s progress in employment search, maintaining clear records of activities, challenges, and outcomes.
• Prepare and submit concise monthly reports on: participation in mentoring meetings, skills and confidence development,internship, freelance, or job placements obtained,key challenges and recommendations for improvement.
• Contribute to the overall AWAKE project learning by sharing good practices, success stories, and lessons learned with the IPPA project team.Within this two-month period, mentors are required to conduct a minimum of:
• Three (3) individual meetings with each participant
• Four (4) group sessions for the cohort.

• Mentor Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. Education, Business, IT, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or related discipline).
• At least 3 years’ experience working with adults or youth in mentoring, coaching, career guidance, training, or community development.
• Demonstrated experience supporting women’s economic empowerment or similar initiatives will be a strong asset.
• Good understanding of digital labour markets and remote work platforms (e.g. freelance marketplaces, online teaching, digital services).
• Strong digital skills, including confident use of online communication and collaboration tools (Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet, email, messaging apps).
• Familiarity with basic digital skills and at least general awareness of fields such as digital marketing, data analytics, cyber security, and AI-supported tools.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and motivate women in challenging circumstances.
• Experience working in the Afghan context and sensitivity to cultural, social, and gender-related issues.

• Duration and Timeline

• Tentative period: September 2026 – December 2026.
• Approximate workload: equivalent of 15 working days per training cycle, covering mentoring support across all four modules.
• Regular online availability for participants and the project team is expected, according to an agreed mentoring schedule.
• In case of successful performance and positive results, the contract may be extended in 2027.

• Reporting and Coordination

  The Consultant will report to the Principal Investigator and will work closely with relevant faculty team. Monthly narrative reports and simple tracking tables will be submitted according to the agreed schedule

  Authorship rights

  UCA holds all authorship rights for all deliverables, and they cannot be used or reproduced without our permission.