We’re excited to announce the 10th round of the WIMIR Mentoring Program, marking a decade of supporting underrepresented voices in Music Information Retrieval (MIR) and related fields! As we celebrate this milestone, we invite both returning and new mentees and mentors to join us in this special anniversary year. Whether you’re looking for guidance or wishing to give back, we’d love to have you involved!
Sign up to be a Mentee here: https://forms.gle/Qwe6vAnT2M6g3Z616
Sign up to be a Mentor here: https://forms.gle/FALFNfD5Kc1ERKUL7
About the Program:
The WIMIR group of the International Society for Music Information Retrieval (www.ismir.net) organizes this program to connect students and early-stage researchers from underrepresented groups—including women, trans and non-binary individuals, and people from the Global South—with senior researchers and professionals committed to promoting Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) in MIR and related fields. More information about the program can be found here: https://wimir.wordpress.com/mentoring-program/
Mentees will be paired with mentors who will offer guidance on navigating challenges and building successful careers. You are free to define your own agenda together; we only recommend maintaining a regular connection, with at least four remote meetings between January and August 2025. This program is run by volunteers; by signing up, you’ll be joining a vibrant community where members actively support each other. If you have any questions or encounter any issues during the mentoring process, do not hesitate to reach out to us at wimir-mentoring@ismir.net.
Celebrating 10 Years of Mentoring:
This year marks a special milestone as we celebrate the program's 10th anniversary. What began as a group dedicated to supporting women in MIR has grown into a thriving community committed to fostering inclusion for all minorities. We believe that every junior member should be given the chance to seek guidance, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or background, especially if they feel underrepresented in their field. To better reflect this broader vision, the group has changed its name to Widening Inclusion in Music Information Retrieval (WIMIR).
Help us make this milestone year even more impactful by spreading the word! As more mentees sign up each year, we continue looking for new mentors, particularly from diverse backgrounds—including non-male mentors, individuals located outside Europe and North America, and researchers from “softer” MIR fields (e.g., musicology, pedagogy, psychology, etc.). The time commitment is minimal and you get to make a significant impact on the next generation of researchers while enriching your own experience.
Testimonials from Mentees and Mentors:
Still wondering if you should join? Don’t just take our word for it—check out what some of our last year’s participants have to say:
- I really like my mentor! He seems to really care about my growth as a researcher and as a newbie in the industry. We did a mock interview, which helped me a lot in getting my current internship.
- For me, the program uncovered a lot of possibilities I was not aware of. I had great discussions with different people that had completely different backgrounds from mine, and yet we were able to learn a lot from each other. Also by meeting these people I started to feel like I belong to the MIR community.
- It provides an opportunity for underrepresented groups in MIR to connect with senior members who are willing to offer support. I can't speak for others, but for me, this is the warmest space within ISMIR, where people come together to help and uplift one another. It's also where I’ve met so many kind and supportive professors. It gives me a sense of belonging and reassures me that I am in a safe and welcoming environment to continue my work in this field.
- Getting to know my mentees has been great; they are incredibly open-minded, creative, ambitious, kind, and talented individuals. That alone is plenty of reward, and makes me excited about the future of our field.
- From a mentor's perspective, it's important to give back to the community that gave us so much, and it's rewarding personally to see people grow based on one's experience.
- My mentees are awesome. I've learned so much from them, about research and otherwise. I've also learned more about the challenges that others encounter in research and in our field, which has helped me to better understand how I might mentor others in the future too.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you in the program!
The WIMIR mentoring program organizers
Francesca Ronchini, Yun-Ning (Amy) Hung, and Zafar Rafii