I consider the mentor-mentee relationship as something special; something that is based on trust and rooted in the former ensuring the professional growth of the latter, expecting nothing in return.
A harsh and unacknowledged truth drives scientific research in our country – the suffering mental health of research scholars and the discouragement of their intellectual development. Research scholars are often treated as the human resource component of the ‘research machinery’, fueling publications for their supervisors.
Since mentoring is a social enterprise, requiring very personal investments of time and effort, and with serious expectation (by the mentor) of a response (from the mentee, and vice versa), this goes outside the ambit of a codified behaviour that can be put into simple rules such as the mentor should do this this and this, the mentee should do this and this, and then all will be well.
The process of honing the capabilities of research scholars necessitates a balance between sensitivity to cultural background and a professional distance; this is not always an easy balance to obtain.
Helping Hand by Sujit Kumar Chakrabarti
In this article, I will explore the nature of mentor-mentee relationships commonly observed in the industry. I will explore several aspects of mentor-mentee relationships and discuss some of the objectives for establishing a mutually enriching mentor-mentee relationship. I will conclude the article by briefly discussing the importance of some of the soft-skill attributes that all of us need to be aware of for the optimal success of the relationship.
Does the mentor wish to mentor? Does the student who is to be mentored wish for a mentor? This is the central question which seems to be ignored.
… a huge and frequently unaddressed problem in science and academia is that people feel that they are faced with the task of climbing a huge mountain, all by oneself. Mentors can be the sherpas who lend a helping hand and share some of the burden, so that one no longer feels quite so alone.
Interpersonal relationship is the basis of a mentee-mentor relationship, and hence there can only be broad guidelines, but not rule-books, on how to nurture the same.
Throughout the period of film-making, we emphasize the point that the process is as important as the product: maintaining harmonious relationships within the group, learning from each other, engaging with subjects in an ethical manner that respects their dignity, privacy and right to choose is more important than making a ‘good’ film.
