Course Description
Mentorship can play an important role in supporting academic, professional, and personal growth. Effective mentoring relationships can provide guidance, knowledge-sharing, encouragement, networks, feedback, and opportunities for development. However, meaningful mentorship requires intentionality, mutual trust, clear expectations, effective communication, and a shared commitment to growth.
This course equips mentors and mentees with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools to build and sustain effective mentorship relationships. Participants will explore the foundations of mentorship, different types of mentoring relationships, and the roles and responsibilities of both mentors and mentees. They will also reflect on their own mentorship goals and experiences and develop practical strategies for navigating common mentoring challenges.
The course combines self-paced learning materials, practical reflection activities, real-world storytelling, and opportunities for discussion and peer learning.
Delivery Format
Blended learning:
Estimated Time Commitment
Approximately 3–4 hours for self-paced materials, plus participation in two live sessions.
Module Objectives
The objectives of this module are as follows:
Module Components
Mentorship — Live Tutorial Session
Date: 23 September 2026 Register here
A live interactive session introducing participants to the value and role of mentorship in academic and professional development. The session will feature a mentor and a mentee sharing personal experiences and practical lessons from their mentoring journeys.
The session will provide participants with an opportunity to explore what makes a mentorship relationship effective, hear different perspectives from both a mentor and a mentee, and reflect on how they can contribute to more meaningful mentoring relationships.
Lesson 1. Understanding Mentorship
Introduces the core concepts and principles of mentorship and explores how mentorship differs from coaching. It examines different types of mentorship relationships and the roles, responsibilities, and characteristics of effective mentors and mentees.
Lesson 2. Building Mentorship Relationships
Provides practical guidance on establishing and developing effective mentorship relationships, including identifying goals and expectations, building trust, communicating effectively, and giving and receiving feedback. Participants will explore how both mentors and mentees can contribute to a productive and mutually beneficial relationship.
Lesson 3. Sustaining Mentoring Relationships
Explores practical strategies for maintaining effective mentorship relationships over time. It covers navigating difficult conversations, power dynamics, diversity, boundaries, ethical considerations, changing expectations, and challenges that may arise within mentoring relationships.
Mentorship Roadmap
A Companion to Module 2
A practical tool to help participants clarify their mentorship goals, expectations, priorities, and desired outcomes, and develop a clear roadmap for their mentoring relationship.
Mentorship Agreement Template
A Companion to Module 2
A practical template to help mentors and mentees establish shared expectations, goals, communication norms, roles, responsibilities, boundaries, and accountability mechanisms at the beginning of their mentoring relationship.
Mentorship Tips & Best Practices
A collection of practical guidance and tips to support participants in developing effective mentoring practices and building meaningful, mutually beneficial mentorship relationships.
Closing live session
Mentorship Closing — Live Learning Exchange Session
Date: 4 November 2026
Brings participants together to reflect on their learning and exchange experiences and practical insights on mentorship. The session will provide an opportunity for participants to discuss common mentoring challenges, share strategies that have worked for them, and reflect on how they can build and sustain effective and mutually beneficial mentorship relationships.
Participants will leave the session with practical actions for strengthening their approach to mentorship, whether as a mentor, mentee, or both.
