Event Details
Duration:
July – August 2025 (with in-person milestones)
Mode:
Hybrid (In-person and Virtual)
Country:
Sri Lanka
Organized By:
IEEE Young Professionals Sri Lanka
Event Overview
IEEE Young Protégé 2025 was Sri Lanka’s flagship, project-based mentoring program designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry for undergraduates and early-career professionals. Unlike single-day mentoring events, the program emphasized continuous engagement, pairing mentees with experienced mentors for sustained guidance, feedback, and skills development.
The initiative followed a structured journey combining weekly online mentoring sessions, formal review checkpoints, and in-person milestone events, ensuring that participants progressed with clarity, accountability, and tangible outcomes. Mentors guided mentees not only on career decisions but also on real-world project execution, professional communication, and industry expectations.
Program Structure and Highlights
- Kick-Off Networking Event
Introduced mentors and mentees, outlined program expectations, and initiated mentor–mentee bonding through networking and speed-interaction sessions. - Weekly Online Mentoring Sessions
Regular mentor–mentee check-ins focused on project work, career guidance, and skill development, supported by structured progress tracking. - Mid-Review and Final Review
Formal checkpoints to assess deliverables, resolve challenges, and evaluate learning outcomes. - Industry Exposure
Exclusive industry visit sessions provided mentees with first-hand insight into professional environments, engineering practices, and workplace culture. - Final Mentorship Summit
A closing in-person event celebrating achievements, recognizing mentors and mentees, gathering feedback, and reinforcing long-term IEEE engagement.
Participation Details
- Mentors: 30+
Representing industry and academia across domains including:- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Data Science
- Cybersecurity
- Software Development
- UI/UX Design
- Project Management
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Mentees:
Undergraduate students and early-career professionals from universities across Sri Lanka - Participant Profile:
IEEE student members, fresh graduates, and young professionals seeking structured career and technical guidance
Outcomes and Impact
- Enabled sustained, one-to-one mentor–mentee relationships
- Improved mentee confidence, career clarity, and professional readiness
- Delivered tangible outputs such as project deliverables, improved CVs, and refined professional profiles
- Strengthened collaboration between IEEE Young Professionals, student branches, and industry partners
- Established a scalable national mentoring model with long-term impact
Feedback from both mentors and mentees highlighted strong personal growth, improved communication skills, and increased preparedness for industry and postgraduate pathways.
IEEE vTools Event Link
- Young Protégé 2025 – Introductory Session – https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/501451
- Young Protégé 2025 – Kick-Off Session – https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/501455
- Young Protégé 2025 – Personal Branding Session – https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/501644
- Young Protégé 2025 – Industry Visit to WSO2 – https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/501647
- Young Protégé 2025 Final Summit – https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/501649
Collaborations
IEEE Collaborators:
- IEEE Young Professionals Sri Lanka
- IEEE Sri Lanka Section
- IEEE Student Branches across Sri Lanka
Industry and Knowledge Partners:
Technology companies, research organizations, and professional mentors supporting domain-specific guidance and industry exposure
