The University of Queensland's Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Career Development Mentoring Program assists HDR candidates to engage with respected professionals from diverse background — both within and outside of academia.

An online mentoring platform guides participants through activities and topics suggested at each stage of the program, with HDR candidates encouraged to:

  • Investigate potential career pathways,
  • Gain exposure to different perspectives and advice, and
  • Discuss topics such as networking, identification and communication of transferrable skills, and career development.

How is this different to an industry mentoring program?

The program’s focus is on the HDR candidate’s broad professional and career development, rather than a focus on preparation for a specific industry setting. This is underpinned by the belief that HDR candidates can gain valuable insights into their career development from conversations with experienced professionals, irrespective of their disciplinary background or specific industry.