Impactiv x Khalifa University
Athar Mentorship Program
Turning Potential Into Professional Impact
The Athar Mentorship Program is a structured mentorship journey connecting university students with accomplished alumni and industry professionals at Khalifa University to build skills, expand networks, and navigate the transition from university to the world of work.
impact and legacy in arabic
the athar mentorship program
Athar, meaning impact or legacy in Arabic, is a six-month mentorship program that bridges the gap between academic achievement and professional readiness.
Developed and delivered by Impactiv in partnership with Khalifa University, the Athar Mentorship Program brings students and experienced professionals together through intentional matching, structured goal-setting, regular mentoring, practical guidance, and opportunities for broader professional connection.
Cohorts I & II
athar at a glance
59 Cohort I + 47 Cohort II mentees supported through structured one-to-one mentorship.
45 Cohort I + 29 Cohort II mentors contributed their experience, industry knowledge and career insight.
More than 340 mentoring sessions were recorded in Cohort I alone, with continued mentoring activity across 48 active connections in Cohort II.
Cohort I achieved 93% overall satisfaction, while Cohort II reported 100% satisfaction.
Demonstrating strong mentor commitment to the programme and willingness to continue contributing.
Why Athar?
structure and purpose
Mentorship With Structure. Connection With Purpose.
The Athar Mentorship Program is not built around simply matching a student with a professional and leaving them to figure it out. The program combines human connection, structured development, technology, and measurable outcomes.
Intentional Matching
Mentor-mentee relationships are matched based on the mentee’s goals, interests, academic background, and professional aspirations, with the aim of creating relevant and meaningful connections.
Goal-Oriented Mentorship
Mentees define objectives and work with their mentors to turn aspirations into concrete actions. The journey is built around progress, reflection, and accountability.
Real-World Expertise
Mentors bring perspectives that cannot be gained from classrooms alone — from industry expectations and hiring practices to career pathways, professional skills, and navigating the UAE’s evolving professional ecosystem.
More Than One-to-One Mentoring
Athar extends beyond one-to-one mentoring through peer learning, networking, community gatherings, and professional development activities.
The goal is not simply to create mentor-mentee pairs. It is to create a connected ecosystem of students, alumni, professionals, and university stakeholders.
Technology-Enabled Engagement
The mentoring journey is supported through a dedicated digital platform that facilitates communication, tasks, scheduling, discussions, and ongoing engagement — helping transform mentorship from an informal relationship into a structured development experience.
The Athar Journey
from connection to confidence
Connect
Students are matched with mentors based on their goals, interests, and professional aspirations.
Define
Mentees identify their priorities and work with their mentors to establish clear, meaningful goals for the mentorship journey.
Explore
Mentors provide practical insights, industry perspectives, feedback, and guidance based on real-world experience.
Apply
Mentees turn advice into action — improving their professional profiles, developing skills, expanding networks, exploring opportunities, and making career decisions.
Grow
Through six months of structured interaction, participants build confidence, ownership, clarity, and professional readiness.
Impact
The impact extends beyond the program through stronger professional networks, continued opportunities for engagement, and a growing community of Athar alumni.
A Two-Way Exchange
the impact goes both ways
Mentees Grow. Mentors Grow Too.
The Athar Mentorship Program is intentionally designed as a two-way exchange of knowledge and experience.
For Mentees
Athar gives students access to:
- Clarity — Understand where your skills can take you and make more informed career decisions.
- Confidence — Develop communication, leadership, professional presentation, and decision-making skills.
- Industry Insight — Learn from someone who has experienced the realities of your target field.
- Networks — Expand your professional circle beyond the university environment.
- Opportunities — Explore internships, certifications, events, graduate programs, and professional pathways.
- Ownership — Move from waiting for opportunities to actively creating and pursuing them.
For Mentors
Mentorship is also an opportunity for professionals to:
- Give Back — Support the next generation and contribute to student development.
- Reconnect — Strengthen their relationship with the university and alumni community.
- Reflect — Revisit their own professional journey and the lessons that shaped it.
- Learn — Gain fresh perspectives from students and emerging professionals.
- Grow — Develop their own coaching, communication, and leadership capabilities.
- Build Community — Connect with fellow alumni, mentors, faculty, and the wider university ecosystem.
in their own words
testimonials
Athar Mentee
Athar Mentee
Athar Mentor
Athar Mentor
ready to create your own athar?
Mentorship should not be an add-on. It should be an ecosystem.
Whether you are a university looking to strengthen student employability, an organization seeking to build meaningful professional development initiatives, or an institution wanting to activate its alumni community, Impactiv can help you design a mentorship experience built around your goals.
Let’s build a mentorship program that leaves an Athar.