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

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

A bird's eye view of a table with reports and laptops

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

Close up portrait of black woman

Finding – and raising – my voice as a Black female leader in higher education

Women of colour face a formidable set of challenges in the quest to find their place and voice in higher education. Menah Pratt shares the lessons learned in her journey – from the power of persistence to harnessing her creativity

Menah Pratt

Virginia Tech

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

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

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

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

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

University staff member talking to a female student

The case for reverse mentoring in higher education

Reverse mentoring can drive progress on many challenges faced in higher education today, if planned with care, as Rachael O’Connor explains

Rachael O’Connor

University of Leeds

Detail of woman being interviewed

Engaging in controversial topics in teaching and research

Sensitive subjects such as trolling and sexual assault require a careful approach at all points – from examining your motivation before you begin and setting up support to sharing findings, writes Ekant Veer

Ekant Veer

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Darwin and teaching originality in university

Teaching originality: an essential skill in the age of ChatGPT

Academic originality is not about chance, genius or magic. It is about engagement and a clear sense of scholarly contribution. And it can be taught, writes Alastair Bonnett

Alastair Bonnett

Newcastle University

A university tutor talking to a male student

Five characteristics of effective supervisor training

What constitutes effective training to ensure research supervisors are well equipped to work with doctoral students? Sioux McKenna and Puleng Motshoane share advice based on their research in South Africa

Sioux McKenna, Puleng Motshoane

Rhodes University, University of Johannesburg

A female tutor speaks to a younger woman

Giving and receiving doctoral writing feedback

Advice for PhD supervisors on setting out clear expectations and strategies for delivering effective feedback to their doctoral students

Susan Carter

University of Auckland

A man and two women in a meeting around a laptop

How professional supervision can benefit academics

Common in health professions, supervision has much to offer faculty and higher education institutions – whether it takes place one-on-one or in groups. Here, Anita Volkert explains how to use the 3Cs of effective supervision to get started

Anita Volkert

Glasgow Caledonian University

Two colleagues speaking to one another by a computer

A mentoring scheme for graduate teaching assistants

How to shape a mentoring scheme to help graduate teaching assistants develop their instructional practice and gain professional qualifications

Thomas Rodgers, Claudia E Henninger

University of Manchester

Diverse team of scientists in a competition

How supervisors can use research competitions to inspire lifetime learning

While some may think that entering student science competitions is all about the gold medals, the long-term nature of such projects is perfect fodder for learning meaningful skills

Zheng Pai

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

A man standing on a rock, staring out into the distance

A vision for graduate supervision

Supervising graduate students is a responsibility and skill that goes far beyond the mere transmission of knowledge, as Daniel Jutras explains

Daniel Jutras

University of Montreal

Research competitions and university sutdents

Tactics for leading and engaging students in research competitions

Research competitions can motivate, encourage and inspire students, but we must align their expectations and encourage teamwork throughout the project

Zheng Pai

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Young Asian man jumping through circular obstacles

Building resilience in students: give them roots and wings

Teachers can act as their students’ strongest supporters and life coaches, assisting them in acquiring the knowledge, abilities and resilience they need to face life’s challenges

Cheong Fan

Macau University of Science and Technology

Older professional woman and young professional woman working together at laptop

How reverse mentoring helps co-create institutional knowledge

Reverse mentoring flips traditional power hierarchies, seeks connections across generations and offers opportunities to build relationships between students and faculty. The result boosts leadership skills and institutional knowledge

Monika Foster

Northumbria University

Two women sitting talk to one another

Supervising neurodiverse postgraduate researchers

Advice for supervisors to tailor their support and guidance for neurodiverse postgraduate researchers, based on conversations with two autistic PGRs

Kelly Louise Preece

University of Exeter

Inspiring lecturer at university

It’s worth rethinking how we engage graduates – they can be teaching gold

National teaching fellow James Derounian highlights the potential for recycling graduate contributions back into university teaching

James Derounian

University of Bolton

Women mentoring

The power of gender-sensitive mentoring

Mentoring is a powerful tool to enhance job satisfaction and work-life balance. This guide aims to help mentors adopt a gender-sensitive approach to support women and people who identify as women in teaching-focused roles

Marion Coderch

Durham University

Mentoring postgrad students well requires much planning

Setting up right is crucial for supervision success – here’s how

Successful supervision requires careful planning. Tania Crotti and Anna Szorenyi share road-tested approaches to establishing and maintaining effective supervisory practices

Tania Crotti , Anna Szorenyi

The University of Adelaide

Illustration of mentoring tree of lightbulbs

Career mentoring can support student employability

Support for students extends beyond the classroom. Here’s how to develop a successful mentoring programme to help students take their first steps into the workplace

Zurria Qureshi

University of Westminster

Improving research culture at universities

To improve research culture, we must change the way we measure performance

Jo Cresswell explains how universities can support more collaborative cultures by changing the way academics are reviewed, assessed and rewarded

Jo Cresswell

Dr Joanne Cresswell Coaching

Midwife hands baby to mother after hospital birth

Ways to support research students in nursing and midwifery

PhD supervision requires a specific skill set – from communication to emotional intelligence – to meet its challenges and secure its rewards. Here, Helen Allan shares her advice based on more than 20 years of experience

Helen Allan

Middlesex University

Peer mentoring at university can make a difference to student confidence

As a black, female student, I wish I’d had a peer-mentoring scheme

Asking more experienced students to volunteer to help first-years navigate their university journey can make all the difference in terms of belonging and confidence

Bernadine Idowu

University of West London

Diverse hands illustrating inclusive student-staff partnership concept

Student-staff partnerships: seven strategies for adopting inclusive practices

Student-staff partnerships can support skills development and enrich courses, as well as offer life-changing professional and academic opportunities for diverse students. Here, Madelaine-Marie Judd and Brooke Szücs encourage others to embrace this ethos

Madelaine-Marie Judd, Brooke Szücs

The University of Queensland

Diverse group of students in discussion

Four steps to robust and respectful classroom discussion

This video offers a four-part approach that gives space for students to speak up eagerly in classroom debates and shows them how to disagree well. Brian Ray, director of the Poe Business Ethics Center at the University of Florida, explains how to put it into practice

Brian Ray

University of Florida

Signposts for help, support, advice and guidance

Tips for new PhD supervisors: how to hold effective meetings

Supervisory meetings should be planned, regular and positive in tone. Here are key elements to include in thesis supervision meetings for academics new to the role

Alice Ling Jiang

Macau University of Science and Technology

Image showing collaboration between doctoral students and supervisors

Co-creation: how to find the ‘super’ in supervision

Co-creation can bring together research supervisors and doctoral students to unpick the tensions and challenges in the supervisory relationship and seek solutions, researchers from the University of Warwick explain

Elena Riva, Louise Gracia, Rebecca Limb

The University of Warwick

Image showing peer mentoring in action

The role of peer mentoring in the design and development of online learning

Peer mentoring is an effective way to support faculty in the development and delivery of quality online courses. Jonathan Muir explains when and how best to use it

Jonathan Muir

University of Leeds