Effective academic mentoring for early career researchers can make the difference between thriving and struggling in academia. Yet mentoring is often treated as an individual responsibility rather than as a shared value embedded throughout the academic system.

Jeffrey M. Peck has spent much of his academic career reflecting on and practicing mentoring in different institutional and national contexts. Having held leadership positions at universities in the United States and Europe, including as Dean of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences and Vice Provost for Global Strategies at Baruch College of the City University of New York, he has long been committed to international academic exchange, supporting early-career researchers, and promoting diversity in higher education. Today, he is a member of GSO’s board, he serves as President of the Association of Friends and Supporters of the German-American Fulbright Program, and remains closely involved in transatlantic academic exchange.

Drawing on decades of experience, Jeff reflects on the importance of mentoring in academia, how mentoring relationships shape careers, and why supporting others may be one of the most meaningful and enduring aspects of academic life.

Mentoring as a Core Academic Value

Mentoring has been a consistent thread throughout my long academic career, which has spanned three countries, the United States, Canada, and Germany, and a wide range of higher education institutions, both public and private, large and small. Whether serving as Professor, Director, Dean, or Vice Provost, supporting students and colleagues in their academic and professional development was central to my professional identity.

Of course, I benefited from a predominantly North American academic culture that, at least rhetorically, valued and recognized mentoring. Ironically, it was my German Doktorvater, a German-educated scholar at Berkeley, who became my model for how mentoring could and should be an essential component of teaching and research, and one of the most rewarding aspects of an academic career.

There are, of course, many forms of mentoring, including individual and peer mentoring. My emphasis here, however, is on a broader principle: mentoring as a value embedded throughout the academic system itself. At its core, mentoring involves openness, to listen, to support, to guide, and to offer constructive criticism, with the goal of enhancing another person’s work, career, or life. In this regard, mentoring contains elements of coaching and, to some extent, even therapy. Without overstating the latter, meaningful mentoring requires genuine human interest, sensitivity, and care for others.

Why Mentoring Matters More Than Ever

At every academic level, especially among doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty members, effective mentoring can make the difference between success and failure. Historically, the concept of the Doktorvater or Doktormutter (though more often the former) represented a structured and systemic approach to mentoring. Yet its effectiveness depended largely on the individual mentor, who often held substantial power over the student. In this respect, little has changed. Movements such as #MeToo and #IchBinHanna have become important safeguards, challenging those in positions of authority and holding them to ethical and professional standards. These movements, together with efforts at institutional reform, however modest they remain, particularly in Germany, have highlighted the need for greater flexibility, transparency, and structural change in increasingly complex academic systems marked by financial uncertainty and precarious career paths.

To quote Hillary Clinton, “it takes a village.” The successes we hope to achieve require a community of committed and engaged individuals working at different levels and in different capacities. Today, that village is increasingly international and diverse, bringing together mentors, peers, administrators, and professional organizations in networks of support. At the center of this village lies mentoring itself: the willingness to invest in the development and well-being of others.

Mentoring Takes Many Forms

Mentoring continues to take many forms. Traditional one-on-one mentoring remains valuable, whether with a faculty member at one’s institution, a colleague met at a conference, or even a professional connection established through LinkedIn. A mentor need not work in precisely the same field. It never hurts to ask. Relationships deepen through sustained interaction, and successful mentoring often benefits from structure: regular meetings, agreed-upon goals, and even formal mentoring agreements. The clearer the expectations, the greater the likelihood of success.

Peer mentoring offers complementary advantages. Researchers working on a common project or within the same laboratory can exchange ideas and critique one another’s work without the anxieties that often accompany hierarchical relationships. When combined with faculty-led discussions, peer mentoring can also address concerns shared by many participants. While general mentoring has broad value, disciplinary proximity often provides deeper insights into the specific standards, expectations, and idiosyncrasies of fields such as German studies, history, biology, or medicine.

The essential point remains the same: mentors and mentees must share a commitment to learning, trust, and self-improvement. Mentors themselves often gain valuable lessons in leadership, organization, management, and what human resources professionals call “human capital.” They also derive considerable personal satisfaction and meaning from the relationship. A fact that many mentees find surprising.

How Mentoring Shapes Careers

Over time, mentoring develops qualities and skills that can transform both participants. Some mentoring relationships endure throughout entire careers; others may be brief but nonetheless decisive. A timely suggestion to redirect a research project, apply for a particular grant, or pursue a specific position can alter the trajectory of a career. Much of this strategic thinking I learned from my own mentor. Not always through explicit advice, but through example.

Mentors also benefit from building meaningful relationships with their mentees, many of whom hesitate to seek guidance for fear of “bothering” a busy academic. I often reassured students and colleagues that mentoring was not an obligation but one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. Within the limits imposed by other responsibilities, I was always willing to assume that role.

The Structural Challenges of Mentoring in Academia

Yet the reality remains that systems characterized by heavy teaching loads, large numbers of doctoral students, and evaluation structures that continue to prioritize research above all else leave little time for mentoring. That is a regrettable fact of contemporary academic life.

Academic work can also be profoundly lonely. Research, writing, and administration often require long periods of isolation. For me, teaching provided a welcome respite from hours spent in archives, in front of a blank computer screen, or contemplating administrative decisions that could affect the lives of colleagues and students. Leadership positions can be especially isolating. When colleagues compete for attention and resources, it is not always clear whether interactions are motivated by genuine collegiality or professional self-interest. Peer mentoring groups can provide a sense of community, belonging, and psychological support, even for senior administrators. They remind us that we are not alone.

Building a Culture of Support

Sustaining commitment to our work and to one another requires institutional structures that support and strengthen professional relationships. In my experience, German universities have not yet fully embraced this perspective or implemented the practices necessary to realize it. Organizations such as GSO and others have helped address uncertainty and opacity by offering practical guidance and realistic career perspectives. They have also drawn attention to essential skills such as leadership, management, interpersonal communication, and mental health awareness, including issues related to depression and neurodivergence.

These skills are increasingly important for navigating careers both inside and outside academia. For many scholars, the once-cherished goal of a professorship may no longer be attainable, or even desirable. Effective mentoring can help individuals recognize that alternative careers do not represent failure. On the contrary, they may lead to more meaningful, fulfilling, and enriching lives. There are many ways to make a living and build a satisfying career. As Anne Schreiter, Executive Director of GSO, recently observed, “Academia is the alternative career path.” In many ways, this simple statement captures the changing realities of academic work in the twenty-first century.

What Remains?

As I approach the end of my own academic career, I find myself returning to the question posed by the East German writer Christa Wolf in her remarkable work „Was bleibt“ (What Remains?). When one looks back on a lifetime of professional accomplishments, what ultimately endures? The books and articles I have written? The lectures I have delivered? The fellowships, honors, and awards I have received?

For me, the answer is clear. What remains are the relationships. The mentoring relationships cultivated and sustained over years, and sometimes even brief encounters that proved meaningful at a critical moment, constitute the most enduring legacy of my career. While I take pride in my scholarly achievements and recognize how fortunate I was to become a professor in a different era, I know that I have passed on more than knowledge.

My legacy, and, I hope, our collective legacy as mentors, is a set of educational, professional, and ethical values. It is a commitment to sharing knowledge, inspiring others, and leading with integrity. Despite the many challenges facing higher education, I remain optimistic about the future. In the end, mentoring is not simply an activity within academic life; it is one of its highest callings. Through the people we guide, support, and encourage, our influence continues long after our formal careers have ended.

And so, when I ask Christa Wolf’s question, „Was bleibt?“ (What remains?), my answer is simple: the people whose lives we have touched, and who, in turn, will continue the work of mentoring others.