Strengthening Mentoring Culture in University

2025-06-24 17:28:00

Universities must become institutions that not only impart knowledge but also accompany students throughout their entire developmental journey, encompassing academic, professional, and personal psychological growth. This core message was emphasised at the seminar “Innovation in Medical Training Programmes: Introduction to Mentoring Activities and the Role of Academic Staff in Building a Mentoring Culture,” organised by the University of Health Sciences – VNUHCM on the morning of 24th June.

The seminar, attended by numerous lecturers and academic advisors, aimed to discuss solutions for enhancing the effectiveness of mentoring work within contemporary higher education environments.

Towards Comprehensive Development of Learners

As the principal institution training healthcare human resources for society, the University of Health Sciences – VNUHCM currently provides instruction to over one thousand students and postgraduates across medical, nursing, pharmaceutical, and related disciplines. This cohort comprises students with distinct professional characteristics who must pursue long-term training programmes encompassing substantial knowledge bases and stringent requirements for professional skills and ethics.

Even whilst still in lecture halls, these students must familiarise themselves with considerable academic pressure and early exposure to clinical practice environments, confronting challenges of profound humanitarian significance, including both the hopes and life-and-death situations of patients.

Given the high intensity of study, students are increasingly susceptible to prolonged stress states that adversely affect their learning if timely support is not provided. Within this context, the establishment and development of a mentoring culture within universities has become increasingly essential.

Speaking at the programme, Prof. PhD. Phan Bách Thắng, President of the University, emphasised the significance of the seminar in enhancing training quality and establishing foundations for the institution’s long-term mentoring policy development.

Mentoring Culture: From Form to Substance

At the seminar, delegates unanimously agreed that mentoring culture within universities must be implemented substantively, meaning it should not merely involve assigning lecturers to manage academic progress, but must develop a cadre of mentors capable of listening, supporting students in resolving psychological difficulties, providing life skills guidance, and connecting students with appropriate support resources.

Particularly for students in health sciences disciplines – those who will assume community healthcare roles in future – ensuring their psychological well-being requires special attention.

Alongside mentoring culture, the seminar dedicated considerable time to analysing the role of mentoring positions, discussing the development of mentoring operational procedures, and deliberating criteria for selecting academic staff to undertake mentoring roles.

MSc. Specialist Level II Doctor Hà Nguyễn Anh Thư presented a report at the seminar.

Strengthening mentoring culture extends beyond improving administrative procedures within universities. It represents a paradigm shift from “managing” students to “accompanying” them. This constitutes the sustainable foundation for a humanistic educational environment where every learner feels cared for, heard, and supported throughout their personal development journey.

MSc. MD. Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Nhi presented on “Effective Mentoring Skills and Establishing Sustainable Mentoring Relationships”.

Another focal discussion point addressed establishing and operating mentoring models within universities, examining how such models have been implemented at various educational institutions, the factors contributing to their success, and common barriers encountered during implementation. Experiential lessons, from building mentoring teams to effective student engagement approaches, were enthusiastically shared, providing practical insights for the University when establishing systematic mentoring frameworks.

MSc. MD. Nguyễn Hồ Hồng Hạnh delivered a report at the seminar.
MSc. MD. Đào Thanh Liêm presented the report “Survey Results on Mentor Connection Needs for Comprehensive Support of Medical Students.”

Following discussions, academic staff made numerous recommendations, including the need to regularly organise training programmes on soft skills, emotional management, and communication skills for mentoring specialists, whilst simultaneously enhancing internal communication to familiarise both lecturers and students with mentoring culture.

The seminar concluded with high consensus amongst academic staff regarding the importance of raising awareness and responsibility amongst lecturers in accompanying students alongside their professional duties. Within the context of higher education’s strong shift towards comprehensive models centred on learners, establishing a humanistic campus environment – where students are not only educated but also heard and understood – represents an urgent requirement more pressing than ever before.

(UHS Media)

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University of Health Sciences – Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City

Address: YA1 Administrative building, Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, VNU, Dong Hoa Ward, Di An City, Binh Duong Province