French mentors to help out ITER expats
24 Sep 2012
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Shawn Simpson, Agence Iter France
Over 90 people were present for the launching of this program, aimed at making sure ITER personnel receives personalized help according to need.
What is a mentor? The original Mentor is a character in Homer's epic poem The Odyssey. When Ulysses, King of Ithaca, went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor. Mentor served as the teacher and overseer of Ulysses' son, Telemachus.
A mentor is a trusted counselor or guide, always more experienced, who helps another individual.
On Thursday 13 September at the Château de Cadarache, the ITER mentor program was launched by the Welcome Office of the Agence Iter France. This program puts French people in contact with ITER personnel. The purpose of the French mentors is to help out any ITER expatriate during their time in France, whether this means making phone calls in French, having them over for dinner, aiding in filling out forms, and more.
Over 90 people were present for the launching of this program and the evening enabled all to exchange emails, phone numbers and to get to know one another. This type of program is aimed at making sure each member of ITER personnel receives personalized help according to his or her needs.
We plan on having another ITER mentor party within the coming months.