On June 16, Khmelnytskyi National University joined the webinar “Open New Horizons,” held as part of the Academic Mentorship Programme between the United Kingdom and Ukraine.
The event focused on the concept of mentorship — a specific type of relationship aimed at achieving career goals, where an experienced professional (mentor) supports a less experienced colleague (mentee) in their professional development.
Participants were briefly introduced to the following:
- What academic mentorship is — a form of professional support based on a partnership between an experienced scholar (mentor) and a young researcher or lecturer (mentee). Speakers emphasised the distinction between mentorship and tutoring, teaching, or academic supervision. Mentorship was presented as a unique tool for professional development built on trust, mutual support, and knowledge sharing.
- How the Science for Ukraine initiative operates — an international platform created to support Ukrainian scholars during wartime. The session included real-life examples of successful mentorship within the programme. The experiences of both mentors and mentees illustrated how international support contributes not only to professional growth but also to psychological resilience and the broadening of academic perspectives.
- How the mentorship programme functions — from participant registration to the formation of effective mentoring relationships. Organisers shared recommendations on building mentor-mentee cooperation, setting goals, maintaining communication, and adhering to professional ethics.
Special attention was given to practical advice for mentees: how to take initiative, clearly articulate goals, maintain regular communication, ensure confidentiality, and respect each other’s time.
The webinar concluded with a Q&A session. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions via chat during the event or submit them in advance.
This webinar was a valuable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the role of academic mentorship, explore its practical benefits, learn more about the international Science for Ukraine initiative, and receive answers to relevant questions about programme participation. The event inspired many participants to engage in active collaboration and pursue professional development within the global academic community. Khmelnytskyi National University will continue to support the involvement of its faculty and researchers in international academic initiatives, fostering partnerships and knowledge exchange.
It is worth noting that Khmelnytskyi National University is already participating in the Academic Mentorship Programme in partnership with our twinning partner, Bangor University (United Kingdom). The collaboration between the universities officially began with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2022 as part of the UK–Ukraine Twinning Initiative. This partnership has enabled joint educational and research projects, access to language courses and resources, communication between student communities, and the foundation for long-term academic cooperation.