When we gathered in April at the Eyes4ICU Winter School 3 in Smolenice Castle, Slovakia, we took the opportunity to engage not only with the Doctoral Candidates (DCs) but also with the Mentors who guide them throughout their research journey. We wanted to explore their perspectives on collaboration and the challenges and rewards of working together in this unique academic environment.
To capture these reflections, KInIT's Communication Specialist Marianna Palková filmed a series of short interviews with both Mentors and DCs. These videos, now available on YouTube offer a candid glimpse into the dynamics of mentorship and doctoral research within the project.
Another key question we asked during the workshop was: What are the three most important factors for successfully completing a PhD?
Their answers were visualized in the form of word clouds, revealing interesting differences in perspective. Mentors highlighted hard work, passion, and persistence as essential ingredients for success—underscoring the personal and emotional investment required in a long-term research endeavor. On the other hand, the Doctoral Candidates themselves emphasized publishing and paper writing as their top priorities, reflecting the growing pressure in academia to produce tangible research outputs early and often.
These insights provide a valuable window into the mindset of early-career researchers and their mentors—and also open up important conversations about how best to support doctoral success.
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