Young Researchers’ “Let’s Get to Know Each Other” Seminar Focusing on Mentorship

Feb 9, 2026 | News

Motto: “Stand by me”

As part of the BRC Young Researchers’ Seminar series, the “Let’s Get to Know Each Other” seminars aim to strengthen our community by featuring talks from in-house young researchers on a wide range of topics of shared interest.

On February 5, the seminar titled “Mentorship: A Critical Element in Scientific Success”, comprised two talks.

In the first presentation titled “Beyond Guidance: The Art and Impact of Mentorship”, Tejal Shreeya and Zuhao Cui, PhD students at the Institute of Biophysics, shared the common experiences of Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship recipients and other international students with respect to mentorship. Based on interviews with 15–20 people coming from a diverse range of countries to the BRC, Tejal highlighted both positive and negative mentoring attitudes encountered in Hungary compared with those in the participants’ home countries. She emphasized that the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship offers a unique opportunity to broaden both scientific and cultural horizons.

In Hungary, many students have found a supportive and helpful environment that provides assistance not only with scientific challenges but also with personal matters. As one of the most striking positive aspects, she underlined the minimal hierarchical gap and the opportunity for direct, one-on-one conversations with supervisors. At the same time, she noted that specific challenges – such as language and cultural barriers, immigration-related issues, finding accommodation, and financial difficulties – highlight the need for more structured mentorship. In conclusion, she stressed that effective mentorship must extend beyond science, fostering students’ confidence, independence, and long-term vision.

Zuhao presented two case studies that highlighted the importance of mentors’ responsibility toward their mentees. As shown by Zuhao, the students facing particular challenges – one whose supervisor moved to a different institute and another who was initially accepted but later reassigned to a different mentor – emphasized that respectful and transparent communication is crucial in the mentor–mentee relationship.

During the Q&A session, reflecting on the specific challenges faced by non-Hungarians, the establishment of an international students’ community was suggested in the BRC to welcome and support newly arriving people from abroad.

The second talk, titled “Keeping the Flame Alive – How Mentors Inspire,” was given by Áron Szabó, a senior research associate at the Institute of Genetics. Drawing on his personal experience with four mentors and numerous mentees, he raised several key points related to mentorship. Emphasizing that mentorship is largely about mutual enrichment and growth, he compared the mentor–mentee relationship to a marriage, in which divorce can also be an outcome. He therefore stressed the importance of thinking ahead about expectations, seeking advice, and remaining open to understanding different perspectives in order to find the most suitable mentor. Ultimately, he highlighted that the key lies in sustaining motivation and achieving balance in all aspects of mentoring and being mentored.

To conclude the session, Imola Wilhelm, the organizer of the event, shared several ideas from the Nature Cell Biology paper “Mentoring the Next Generation of Cell Biologists” (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-023-01278-7), which closely aligned with the themes discussed in the talks.