Code of conduct

Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Codes of Conduct

General Information and Guiding Principles

The Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Codes of Conduct govern the behavior of a Mentor and a Mentee during the course of their mentorship. The Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Codes of Conduct include the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentors and the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentees. All Participants (a Participant refers to a Mentor or a Mentee) in the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Platform shall read the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Codes of Conduct in its entirety to understand the standard of behavior expected by Mentoring Platform for Central Asia from all its Participants and to know which actions constitute violations that shall be reported to Mentoring Platform for Central Asia.

Guiding Principle for the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Platform. The primary purpose of a mentorship is for a Mentor to support the startup initiatives of a Mentee with professional experience.

Guiding Principle for Mentors. The Mentor shall always strive to act in the best interests of the Mentee. In practice, any course of action will usually present specific advantages and specific disadvantages, and the optimum course of action will often not be clearly defined. Under no circumstances, however, shall the Mentor further other interests by intentionally advising the Mentee to follow a course of action that is clearly detrimental to the best interests of the Mentee; for example, the Mentor shall not place the interests of the Mentor, the Mentor’s employer, a professional society, a sponsor, or any other party above the interests of the Mentee.

Guiding Principle for Mentees. The Mentee is ultimately responsible for the Mentee’s own actions. The Mentor provides guidance for pursuing a specific course of action. This guidance will be based on the Mentor’s specific knowledge, specific experience, specific preferences, and specific biases. In practice, any course of action will usually present specific advantages and specific disadvantages, and the optimum course of action will often not be clearly defined. The responsibility for choosing a specific course of action belongs to the Mentee, not to the Mentor.

Mentoring Platform for Central Asia's Code of Conduct for Mentors

As a participating Mentor in the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Platform, I agree to abide by the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentors. I agree that if I violate any rule of the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentors, Mentoring Platform for Central Asia may suspend or terminate my participation as a Mentor in the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia.

Rule 1. Confidentiality. Except as provided below, I shall not disclose to any third party any personal details of my communications with my Mentee without prior permission of my Mentee. Exceptions--If my Mentee violates the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentees, I shall report the code violations to Mentoring Platform for Central Asia staff at team@mentoringplatform.org.
Rule 2. Availability. Mentor shall be available during appointed time period that was agreed on with a Mentee. If the Mentor will be temporarily unavailable for a short period (for example, the Mentor leaves on a week-long business trip), the Mentor should inform the Mentee in advance. In specific instances, the Mentee may require substantially more time from the Mentor. If the Mentor cannot commit sufficient time to fulfill the Mentee’s needs, the Mentor should notify Mentoring Platform for Central Asia so that the Platform can try to match the Mentee with another Mentor.
Rule 3. Communications. In my communications with my Mentee, (1) I shall not use offensive language, and (2) I shall not transmit offensive images. Offensive language includes, but is not limited to, (a) profanity or verbal abuse directed towards the Mentee, (b) sexually suggestive comments directed towards the Mentee, and (c) derogatory remarks directed towards any individual or group of individuals based on religion, race, color, ethnicity, country of origin, age, gender. Offensive images include, but are not limited to, (a) images that are sexually suggestive, lewd, or pornographic and (b) images that include offensive language, as described above. Communications refers to communications via any media; for example, in-person, phone, mail, photographs, voice-mail, audio conferencing, video conferencing, audio recordings, video recordings, e-mail, electronic text messaging, computer files supplied on physical media, and computer files transferred electronically.
Rule 4. Topics for Discussion. If my Mentee expresses unwillingness, reluctance, or discomfort in discussing any topic that I have raised, I shall promptly cease pursuing that topic. The specific personal issues and the degree of personal detail that are appropriate for discussion will depend strongly on the specific Mentor, the specific Mentee, and the specific circumstances. Therefore, Mentoring Platform for Central Asia does not provide a comprehensive list of appropriate and inappropriate topics and does not provide guidance on the degree of personal detail to be shared: The Mentor and the Mentee should agree on the topics that they are comfortable discussing and on the degree of personal details that they are comfortable sharing.
Rule 5. Personal Relationships. I shall not pursue a romantic or sexual relationship with my Mentee.
Rule 6. Meetings in Person. If my Mentee does not wish to meet in person, I shall not insist on a meeting. If circumstances permit, in-person meetings between the Mentor and the Mentee can be beneficial for developing personal rapport, and the Mentee can often benefit from visiting the Mentor's workplace. It is appropriate for the Mentor to invite the Mentee to meet in person; but, if the Mentee does not wish to meet in person, then the Mentor shall not insist on a meeting.
Rule 7. Prohibited Advice. I shall not provide medical, mental-health, or legal advice to my Mentee. Medical, mental-health, or legal advice should be provided by a qualified professional. Even if the Mentor is coincidentally a qualified professional (for example, if the Mentor is a physician, psychologist, or attorney), the Mentor shall not provide medical, mental-health, or legal advice to the Mentee: Within the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia, the Mentor provides guidance for the startup development of the Mentee. The Mentor should advise the Mentee to seek the assistance of another qualified professional.
Rule 8. Knowledgeable Advice. I shall provide advice only on topics in which I have knowledge. Mentors shall refrain from providing advice on topics in which they have little or no knowledge. Incorrect advice can have detrimental consequences. For example, a CV for a Mentee seeking an academic position is different from a resume for a Mentee seeking an industrial position. Thus, a Mentor who has experience only with CVs for academic positions should not advise a Mentee on writing a resume for an industrial position. Instead, the Mentor should seek the assistance of a colleague who does have experience with resumes for industrial positions (before contacting a colleague for assistance, the Mentor should first receive permission from the Mentee). If the Mentor does not have an appropriate colleague, then the Mentor should inform the Mentee that the Mentee needs to seek advice from someone knowledgeable. In particular, academic and industrial practices can vary substantially from country to country. Thus, if the Mentor has experience only with US practices, and if the Mentee is seeking a position in Uzbekistan, then the Mentor should either ask the assistance of an Uzbek colleague (after receiving permission from the Mentee) or advise the Mentee to seek advice from someone knowledgeable.
Rule 9. Fees. I shall not charge my Mentee any fees during the period of our mentorship. The Mentor is a volunteer and shall not charge a fee for serving as a mentor. Even if the Mentor is employed such that the Mentor normally charges fees for services related to mentorship (for example, if the Mentor is a professional career coach who normally charges fees for preparing resumes), the Mentor shall not charge the Mentee any fees during the period of mentorship.
Rule 10. Business Relationships. I shall not pursue a business relationship with my Mentee in which my Mentee derives no benefit from the business relationship. An internship, paid or unpaid, can provide valuable experience for the Mentee. If the internship is paid, then the Mentee obviously derives a financial benefit. If the internship is unpaid, then the internship is appropriate only if the Mentee acquires valuable experience or new skills; for example, if the Mentor is providing guidance, training, and review. If the internship is unpaid, then the internship is not appropriate if the Mentee is only performing a service for the Mentor or other party (such as a sponsor). For example, if the Mentee is a skilled programmer and the Mentor requires the services of a skilled programmer, the Mentor shall not request the Mentee to provide programing services without compensation.
Rule 11. Duty to Report Code Violations. If I observe any Participant behaving in a manner that violates the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentors or the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentees, I shall promptly report my observations to Mentoring Platform for Central Asia staff at team@mentoringplatform.org.

Mentoring Platform for Central Asia's Code of Conduct for Mentees

As a participating Mentee in the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Platform, I agree to abide by the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentees. I agree that if I violate of any rule of the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentees, Mentoring Platform for Central Asia may suspend or terminate my participation as a Mentee in the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia.

Rule 1. Confidentiality. Except as provided below, I shall not disclose to any third party any personal details of my communications with my Mentor without prior permission of my Mentor. Exception: Code Violations. If my Mentor violates the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentors, I shall report the code violations to Mentoring Platform for Central Asia coordinator at team@mentoringplatform.org.
Rule 2. Availability. I shall be available for an appointed period of time agreed on with my Mentor. If the Mentee will be temporarily unavailable for a short period (for example, to study for exams), the Mentee should notify the Mentor in advance. The Mentor is reserving time to participate in a mentorship. The Mentor's time is wasted if the Mentee does not also reserve time to participate in the mentorship.
Rule 3. Communications. In my communications with my Mentor, (1) I shall not use offensive language, and (2) I shall not transmit offensive images. Offensive language includes, but is not limited to, (a) profanity or verbal abuse directed towards the Mentor, (b) sexually suggestive comments directed towards the Mentor, and (c) derogatory remarks directed towards any individual or group of individuals based on religion, race, color, ethnicity, country of origin, age, gender. Offensive images include, but are not limited to, (a) images that are sexually suggestive, lewd, or pornographic and (b) images that include offensive language, as described above. Communications refers to communications via any media; for example, in-person, phone, mail, photographs, voice-mail, audio conferencing, video conferencing, audio recordings, video recordings, e-mail, electronic text messaging, computer files supplied on physical media, and computer files transferred electronically
Rule 4. Topics for Discussion. If my Mentor expresses unwillingness, reluctance, or discomfort in discussing any topic that I have raised, I shall promptly cease pursuing that topic. The specific personal issues and the degree of personal detail that are appropriate for discussion will depend strongly on the specific Mentor, the specific Mentee, and the specific circumstances. Therefore, Mentoring Platform for Central Asia does not provide a comprehensive list of appropriate and inappropriate topics and does not provide guidance on the degree of personal detail to be shared: The Mentor and the Mentee should agree on the topics that they are comfortable discussing and on the degree of personal details that they are comfortable sharing.
Rule 5. Personal Relationships. I shall not pursue a romantic or sexual relationship with my Mentor.
Rule 6. Meetings in Person. If my Mentor does not wish to meet in person, I shall not insist on a meeting. If circumstances permit, in-person meetings between the Mentor and the Mentee can be beneficial for developing personal rapport, and the Mentee can often benefit from visiting the Mentor's workplace. It is appropriate for the Mentee to invite the Mentor to meet in person; but, if the Mentor does not wish to meet in person, then the Mentee shall not insist on a meeting. Additionally, some employers have restrictions on visitors to the workplace.
Rule 7. Prohibited Advice. I shall not seek medical, mental-health, or legal advice from my Mentor. Medical, mental-health, or legal advice should be provided by a qualified professional. Even if the Mentor is coincidentally a qualified professional (for example, if the Mentor is a physician, psychologist, or attorney), the Mentee shall not request the Mentor for medical, mental-health, or legal advice: Within the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Platform, the Mentor provides guidance for the academic and professional development of the Mentee. The Mentee should seek the assistance of another qualified professional.
Rule 8. Financial Assistance. I shall not ask my Mentor for money. In general, the Mentor should avoid giving money to the Mentee. In specific circumstances, the Mentor may volunteer to give money to the Mentee (for example, to assist the Mentee in paying fees for attending a conference or investing in a startup). Under no circumstances, however, is it appropriate for the Mentee to ask the Mentor for money.
Rule 9. Career Assistance. I shall not expect my Mentor to find me a job. For a Mentee who is about to graduate and is seeking employment, much of the discussions with the Mentor could be focused on career opportunities If I observe any Participant behaving in a manner that violates the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentors or the Mentoring Platform for Central Asia Code of Conduct for Mentees, I shall promptly report my observations to Mentoring Platform for Central Asia coordinator at team@mentoringplatform.org.