AAN Mentorship Program

4th Cohort - Fall 2025

The third rendition of the AAN Mentorship Program will take place from
mid-September to mid-December 2025.

Mentee applications will be open July 27th to August 10th 2025

Unfortunately we are unable to provide individual feedback to applications. If you do not hear from us by September 14th 2025, please consider your application as unsuccessful.

Jump to: Timeline | Mentors | FAQs

Program Description & Guidelines

Please make sure to read the Program Description as well as the Guidelines before applying:

Timeline

Mentee applications:
Sun, July 27th - August 10th 2025

Selection & Matching:
Successful mentee candidates will be informed by Sun, September 14th at the latest

Main phase:
Mon, September 15th - Sun, Decdember 14th 2025

Feedback: Second half of December - January

Mentors

UX Researcher

📍Warsaw, Poland

Product Research Team Lead based in Berlin.

📍 Berlin, Germany

Anthropologist (PhD) & Cultural Strategist based in London.

Design Anthropologist and Futures Researcher

Strategic Design Director

📍 London, UK

📍 Vancouver, Canada

📍 Melbourne, Australia

Senior Social Development Consultant and Coach

📍 Barcelona, Spain

Tackling wicked problems with applied anthropology and design.

📍 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Senior UX Researcher, innovation for business & people-friendly solutions.

📍 Bogota, Colombia

Cultural anthropologist in the space of consumer insights.

📍 Delhi, India

Senior Insight Advisor

📍 London, UK

Managing Partner & Co-founder of noodle research

📍Durham, NC - USA

Writer, Anthropologist, Marketer, Content Creator

📍 Brussels, Belgium

Design leader scaling the impact of UX practitioners on a global IT team.

📍 Singapore

Mentors

Senior Expert, Culture & Way of Work

📍Oslo, Norway

Product Research Team Lead based in Berlin.

📍 Berlin, Germany

Anthropologist & UX researcher working in health-tech.

📍 Hawaii, USA

Anthropologist (PhD) & Cultural Strategist based in London.

📍 London, UK

Anthropology, Business, Diversity

📍 Sydney, Australia

Tackling wicked problems with applied anthropology and design.

📍 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Senior Consumer Insights Researcher

📍 São Paulo, Brazil

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be an anthropologist to apply?

No. You do not need to be an anthropologist by training, but you should have some understanding of anthropology and be able to explain your background in the application form.

⮞ What is the next step of the application process?

Mentees will be selected based on the application form solely. We will not conduct interviews with potential applicants, so please make sure to present your profile the best you can.

⮞ Can I reapply if I am not successful this time?

Yes, you are welcome to apply for the next call for mentees.

⮞ Can I apply if I need support with my academic research or want to go back to the university?

No, this program focuses on applying anthropology skills in settings outside of academia. However, EASA has recently launched their own mentorship program focusing on academic professional development - check it out here: EASA Academic Mentorship Program

⮞ What if I realise that my mentor is not a good fit?

After the introductory meeting with your mentor, you may be able to discontinue with the program, if you feel strongly that the relationship will be unsuccessful. In this scenario, we will not be able to find another mentor for you and you will be withdrawn from the program.

⮞ What is the structure of the mentoring sessions?

There is no general structure of the mentoring sessions, as these sessions should focus on the individual needs, challenges and goals of mentees. You as a mentee will be responsible for scheduling the sessions, drafting an agenda and suggesting topics to discuss.

Do you have any questions not included here? Reach out!
mentorship(at)applied-anthropology.com

⮞ Why are we not informing all applicants about the ouctome of their application?

We are more than excited about the astounding interest in the program! Unfortunately, as a fully volunteer-run initiative, we do not have the capacity to reply to each candidate due to time constraints and have not yet found a technical solution that allows us to do so more easily.