Mentoring

How to use mentoring in teaching, research supervision and university career development: academics explain coaching, support and skills development in the mentor-mentee relationship

A mentor having a meeting with her mentee

Become a better mentor by asking yourself these questions

Our mentees face a far more complex educational, social and geopolitical landscape than we did, and we must practise humility in the face of that reality, writes Maria LaMonaca Wisdom. In this piece, she explores how self-reflection enhances effective mentorship.

Maria LaMonaca Wisdom

Duke University

An illustration of tiny figures putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle

Universities need to move interdisciplinary professional associations to the next step

Inter- and transdisciplinary teaching is going beyond communities of practice – but it’s still too small to compete with discipline-based professional associations. Here are the questions we should be asking to move forward

Gabriele Bammer

Australian National University

A teacher mentoring a student

A recipe for effective undergraduate research mentorship

Strategies for giving effective feedback, addressing common challenges and fostering a supportive and productive mentor-student relationship

Jamie Gilbert Mikell

Athens State University

A jigsaw puzzle shaped like a head, brightly coloured blocks emitting from it

How to support neurodivergent postgraduate researchers

How can universities ensure PhD students of all neurotypes can thrive? Here’s how to provide neurodiversity-affirmative supervision

Deborah Riby , Amy Pearson, Jess Hirst

Durham University

A professor helps a student in class

Five ways coaching can improve the university experience of Black students

The ethnicity awarding gap continues to be an issue in UK universities, especially for Black students. Could coaching be the answer?

Yaz Osho

The University of Westminster

A group of PhD students touch mortarboards

Four ways to enhance the postgraduate student experience

Postgraduate students are our future colleagues – let’s put ourselves in their shoes. Here are four ways to help your PhD students thrive in higher education

Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero

University of Leeds

Older woman mentoring young Asian female university student

Intercultural communication between PhD supervisors and candidates

Culture goes beyond language and national origins, so doctoral supervisors need curiosity and an open mindset in their interactions to maximise performance and timely completion

Thuy Dinh

Western Sydney University

A group of people sit around in discussion

Supporting education-focused academics on the road less travelled

Education-focused academics must often navigate an unclear career path with limited opportunities. Danijela Serbic offers advice on how to set up an educational group to support their career development

Danijela Serbic

Royal Holloway, University of London

A mortarboard pencil topper

‘I’ve been a research supervisor for 35 years and I’m still learning’

How can we supervise our PhD students to give them the best chance of success? Here are seven tips to keep in mind when taking on the role

Kimberly Hutchings

Queen Mary University of London

High school students in laboratory

Encouragement and talent development for future scientists

Secondary students need access to practical laboratory experience and career guidance. Mamta Sharma explores ways to introduce budding researchers to the lab setting and broaden scientific horizons

Mamta Sharma

Wellcome Sanger Institute

Medical researchers in white lab coats

How to succeed as an early career researcher? Be motivated and inspire others

Pursuing a research career, especially in a competitive field such as neuroscience, requires commitment, early action, long-term goals and, above all, ongoing passion and curiosity about your field

András Horváth

Semmelweis University

Smiling Chinese college tutor at whiteboard

Setting boundaries for teachers’ well-being

Practising self-care and saying no can help university educators manage the increasing demands of teaching and find a sustainable work-life balance

Cheong Fan

Macau University of Science and Technology

New hire shakes hands with hiring manager

Get inboarding right in five easy steps

Internal hires don’t need traditional onboarding, so how do you ensure they find their feet quickly and thrive in their new position in your university? That’s where inboarding comes in

Alexandra Head

University of Southampton

SDG concept, sustainability

Teaming up with students to design sustainability education

Involving students as co-creators and mentors in sustainability courses can help address differences in their understanding as well as issues such as eco-anxiety

Anne Le Goff , Yacine Baouch , Frédéric Huet , Pierre Feissel

Université de Technologie de Compiègne

A student hugs her knees while talking

How to help a student in mental health distress

Students are particularly vulnerable to mental health struggles, and exam time can be especially stressful. Here’s how to help in an emergency and how to offer long-term support

Norlin Nosbi, Nurul Azhani Yunus, Mazian Mohammad, Abdul Rahim Othman

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

A man with a baby in a sling checks his laptop while drinking coffee

The art of balance: tips for primary carers in higher education

The dual role of primary caregivers and higher education professional is a delicate balancing act. Here are some strategies for juggling two very demanding endeavours

Monika Shukla

Singapore Institute of Technology

A teacher addresses a classroom of students

Conjure the magic of learning with facilitation

When facilitating learning, planning and versatility are key. Here’s how to balance the two

Tan Chin Pei

Singapore Institute of Technology

Older woman talking to young woman in a professional setting, mentoring

Are you ready to be an invested mentor?

The ‘invested mentor’ model takes mentorship beyond process and logistics. In this model, an effective relationship is based on connection rather than formalities with a mentor who prioritises their mentee’s success

Rebecca Taylor

University College Birmingham

A group of people work around an office table

Create healthy relationships between faculty members for the benefit of everyone

When staff members at an institution work together amicably, student performance improves, a collaborative environment forms and the academic community is made even stronger. Here’s how to do it

Rania Shalaby

Dubai Medical College for Girls

Community of practice concept illustration

A framework to develop communities of practice

Supporting communities of practice across an organisation can provide extraordinary benefits. Drawn from the author’s experience, these tips aim to build connection and engagement through a formalised framework and senior leader sponsorship

Karen Mather

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

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Three key collaborations to foster digital fluency in students

While digital skills development is all-important for employability, no one can predict what the job market will look like in a decade. Instead, focus on digital fluency for well-rounded future employees. Jeni Brown and Nedelin Velikov explain how

Jeni Brown, Nedelin Velikov

The London School of Economics and Political Science

A young woman shakes an interviewer's hand over a table

Sharpen your students’ interview skills

The employees of the future will need to showcase their skills in job interviews. Make sure they’re prepared for each setting, writes Lewis Humphreys

Lewis Humphreys

The London School of Economics and Political Science

A group of people laugh over a sheet of paper in a well-lit office

Three tips for using capstone projects to improve employability

How can we make sure our students are workplace-ready? Capstone projects may hold the key, writes Ardy Cheung

Ardy Cheung

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Tundra swans flying in formation

‘Gender equality is more rewarding than just ticking a box’

A whole-culture change to dismantle structural barriers has included mentoring, promotions workshops, and childcare and family leave support. Here are reflections on 25 years of advancing gender equality at Queen’s University Belfast

Karen McCloskey

Queen’s University Belfast

Student standing outside a campus building

How to build inclusive mentorship programmes for Black students

To create inclusive mentorship programmes for Black university students, we must ensure they are culturally relevant, address unique challenges and foster peer support

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

female student working on laptop

Using reflective practice to support postgraduate studies in the biosciences

Small-group workshops create space for postgraduate researchers to share ways to manage stress, impostor syndrome, feelings of isolation and student-supervisor relationships. Here’s how to set up a programme

Jo Haszczyn , Johanna Fish , Jennifer Tullet

University of Southampton, University of Kent

Two people discuss diagrams laid out on a table

Maximise your research impact through interdisciplinary collaboration

What’s the best way to achieve research impact? Qingyan Chen makes the case for an interdisciplinary approach

Qingyan Chen

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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Researchers need support to change the world – here’s how to provide it

To generate world-changing research, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Research and Innovation Office took on the role of fostering collaboration and allocation of resources to allow their academics to focus completely on their work. Lixin Situ outlines how to provide support.

Lixin Situ

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Two young researchers in a lab

How can we embed inclusion in our research culture for postgraduate researchers?

Small, systemic changes can help universities make their research community more welcoming and collaborative. Here, Maisha Islam looks at four actions to consider – from PGR surveys to widening access

Maisha Islam

University of Southampton

Black female engineer working on a drone

How to help young women see themselves as coders, inventors and engineers

Female students can be overlooked in STEM fields. Janille Smith-Colin shares four ways to empower tomorrow’s engineering leaders to find their voice and the determination to use it

Janille Smith-Colin

SMU Lyle School of Engineering

A group of students laugh while using laptops

Four ways to create an entrepreneurial culture at your institution

Universities are perfectly placed to help start-ups get off the ground. Alan Murray, Robert Crammond and Kingsley Omeihe advise on how best to get your students thinking with a business mindset

Alan Murray, Robert Crammond, Kingsley Omeihe

University of the West of Scotland

Women shaking hands

When good enough is not enough

Back your own abilities and let your talents be seen, writes Verna Yiu. Here, she shares lessons from her own career journey on how women can increase opportunities for themselves and each other

Verna Yiu

University of Alberta

A team of white water rafters battle the rapids

Build yourself a life raft by establishing a strong mentor relationship

Mentorship can offer a place of stability amid the choppy waters of a new role. Ibiyemi Omeihe explains how to find your new guide

Ibiyemi Omeihe

University of the West of Scotland

Black academic mentoring Black student

The transformative power of mentoring in historically black colleges and universities

HBCUs’ culture of generosity and community has much to offer all colleges and universities, write Marybeth Gasman and Levon T. Esters. Here, they distill their research into four key elements

Marybeth Gasman, Levon T. Esters

Rutgers University, Penn State University

Target with dart in bulls eye

Targeted support to enhance retention among first-generation students

Outreach initiatives and support programmes can address first-generation students’ challenges, such as belonging and financial literacy, while increasing retention and graduation rates. Here, Charmaine Troy shares her recommendations

Charmaine Troy

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

An illustration of trapeze artists in business suits, performing a catch

How to build trust as a research supervisor

Building trust is a crucial foundation of the supervisor-supervisee relationship. Kingsley Omeihe argues it’s a two-way process

Kingsley Omeihe

University of the West of Scotland

A mountain climber helps another up a steep hill

What does a research supervisor do?

Research supervisors must learn to be authentic mentors, as well as sharing their experience and knowledge. Robert Crammond reflects on his time in the role

Robert Crammond

University of the West of Scotland

veterinary students on work placement watching farmer worm a sheep

Leveraging internships to empower first-generation students

Professional placements – whether paid or unpaid – offer practical, hands-on experiences aligned with students’ academic pursuits and help level the playing field for first-gen students in competitive job markets

Lisa M. Lee

Virginia Tech

Daffodils under blue sky

How to foster PhD excellence

How can PhD supervisors help early career researchers blossom? Support them with finding funding opportunities, understand each doctoral candidate’s motivations and reach out to your own network, suggests Julia Hörnle

Julia Hörnle

Queen Mary University of London

Guide leading a tour

Research supervisor or tour guide?

Reflecting on her own PhD journey as a supervisor and student, Ruth Northway offers her key signposts and mapping techniques to help candidates reach their destinations

Ruth Northway

University of South Wales

Young man in conversation with supervisor

Five ways to support PhD students’ well-being

Doctoral researchers are often absent from university discussions around well-being support, writes Jenny Mercer. Here, she argues that their situation requires bespoke attention and sets out ways this might be achieved

Jenny Mercer

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Hands writing on a laptop

Advice for supervising a PhD by published works

The route to a PhD by published works requires a different approach to supervision. Here, Alison Brettle provides aspects to consider based on her experience conducting, supervising and developing institutional guidance

Alison Brettle

University of Salford

Detail of hands collecting river water

Celebrating failure and other advice for PhD supervisors

PhD researchers should be given space to work independently, share their results and test their own limits with the support of supervisors who see them as people first and scientists second, explains Hannah Cloke

Hannah Cloke

University of Reading

Two young women at a laptop having a conversation

Five steps to finding effective mentors in academia

Five steps to help you find a mentor who aligns with your goals and can help you achieve academic success

Lyn R. Keith

The University of the West Indies

A young female researcher working in the lab

How can PhD researchers be supported to complete an alternative format thesis?

How universities can best support PhD researchers who wish to produce alternative format theses, based on a review of institutional policies

Caitlin Robinson

The University of Bristol

THE podcast graphic

THE podcast: how to be a good mentor and mentee

Contributors from across the globe offer their advice on how to make these critical relationships work for everyone involved

Campus contributors

Campus

virtual mentoring

How mentor and mentee can help each other

Mentorship is a symbiotic relationship. Here, two scientists look at steps in the meeting process and benefits from both sides

Greta Faccio, Maria Koumouri

Independent academic, University of Cyprus

Mentoring session

Six lessons from facilitating a formalised mentoring programme

An institutional formalised mentoring scheme can offer invaluable career guidance for early- and mid-career academics. Here, based on 15 years of managing a programme for academic staff, Karen Mather offers her key takeaways

Karen Mather

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

peer mentoring

Why micro-mentoring works for Generation Z

Breaking the support experience into bite-size exchanges does more to increase younger students’ appetite to keep going than the traditional one-to-one mentoring model

Raphaella Prange

Maryville University

A white male academic talking to a young Black female student

Tips and tricks for impactful reverse mentoring

How to structure and manage effective reverse mentoring programmes which can bring benefits for participants and the wider sector

Rachael O’Connor

University of Leeds