“在任何学科领域，是否有一个好导师将决定学生的研究生涯初期的成败” ，什么样的导师是好导师呢？
2005年，Nature创立了the Nature awards for mentoring in science，用于表彰在指导研究生方面卓有成效的导师。有关人员广泛收集总结了学生们对其导师的评价，总结成了给导师的16条建议，如对学生的智力与能力的尊重，对学生职业发展（甚至选择非学术道路）的尊重等等。
下文分别列出这16条建议，并引用学生的comments作为例证。基于我与自己的博士导师 && 我与本科期间的两个导师的各种经历，我highlight了这些comment里让我深有感触的地方。在异国求学，一个supportive的好导师是如父亲一般的存在。此外，我认为导师“nice”这个说法太笼统。我认为挑导师主要有两个维度：一个是做人，一个是治学。真正的好导师，做人方面要正直、得体，尊重学生，让学生如沐春风，心情愉快，感到个人价值受到认可；做研究方面，要非常responsible，对学生的研究生涯发展很给力，所以push至少比放羊好一点，让学生紧张一点总比松懈要好——五年PHD实在是好短哒。中华好学者本订阅号倡导学术“理性之思想，自主之精神”，定期向您推荐优秀的中国学者及其有代表性的文章。
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一般而言，被吐槽的导师都是这一点做得差，把学生当做干活机器。"Mark's magnanimity in sharing hisown ideas and delight in seeing others succeed has also been an inspiration,not just for myself but for a whole generation of younger scientists.""Sally did and still does this by allowing them to run with ideas that shehelped to develop or even produced herself entirely and by allowing them, totake on senior authorship on important papers even though she could claim itfor herself."4. Individual difference：每个学生想要追求的人生目标是不同的，每个学生也都有自己的私人生活"A mentor needs the ability tocreate a unique relationship with each member of the lab. Francis possessesthis attribute and sees the strengths and skills of each individual and thendesigns projects to suit these strengths. Her ability to understand that noteveryone works in the same way or wants the same things from their livesenables her to produce the best results from people.""Not everybody wants to be aleading researcher and some have skills that better suit them to otheroccupations. There is little point in encouraging young people to take on acareer to which they may be unsuited or which they will find stressful oruninteresting. So I believe it is necessary sometimes to encourage them intoother directions ."这段话让我非常感动——我觉得这种对个人意志与自由选择的无私尊重，简直是一种伟大的人性的光辉。正如原文[2]指出，there is more to life that what theydo in the lab. They need freedom to "smell the roses" as one menteeput it. If things change and appear to be going wrong we need to try andunderstand why. If personal life is becoming tough, then give them time andspace. Good mentors make themselves aware of this. Again we are often so busywe don't notice. 所以，A good supervisor/mentorappreciates these differences and does not try and fit square pegs in round holes.They know when to back off and let people make their own decisions and when tocome in and offer support and sympathy."Hassan takes a continuing interestin his students: so, twenty years after I completed my PhD with him, he isstill my first port of call when I have a thorny issue to discuss, or urgentlyrequire a reference - and he has never let me down.""Agreeing to supervise a PhDstudent entails making a commitment to much more than the day-to-day overviewof a series of experiments, or the development of a programme of analysis thatleads to new physical-mathematical theory. It involves forging rapport with thestudent that potentially lasts a lifetime."6. Actively research：经常亲临一线的研究工作。Lead from the front, be a researcheryour self, white coat on and not desk bound.7. Balance direction：又要放手让学生去explore自己的想法和project，又要在需要的时候给予学生关键性的指导和建议，以此可以有效地提高学生的自主性和能动性。"As a research supervisor andmentor she/he has an incredible ability to find the perfect balance between:allowing the student to develop and explore their own ideas, research plans andprojects; providing them with expert guidance, direction when needed; and mostimportantly providing the inspiration to achieve their best.""Jane sees the importance ofbringing people’s social lives and work lives together. Our lab is always keen tocelebrate the achievements of its members with coffee and cakes; outings forlunch; or BBQs at her house.""The first time a person comes upwith a novel idea or experiment of their own. This should be an occasion forpublic recognition within the lab as it is a milestone of great significancefor most young scientists."9. Building a community：在研究组里培养和谐的关系与社区归属感，鼓励合作而非竞争"Eli manages to create a nurturingyet scientifically intense lab atmosphere that promotes the production ofhigh-quality science without the element of interpersonal competition that isunfortunately so evident in many laboratories, particularly here in the UnitedStates""I aim to build team spirit bysupporting social events throughout the year and by celebrating every birthdaywith a morning or afternoon tea at work. Originally I organized social eventsmyself, but I now leave the details up to group members so that we can enjoy adiverse range of events that reflect the interests of the group, from canoeingto karaoke"."The most useful single thing I'velearned is that chocolate biscuits do more for everyone's good humour andenthusiasm than any amount of feelgood talk. The role of blood sugar shouldprobably have been obvious to a biologist from the outset, but I only learnedthis by experience. Mind you, cheerful and encouraging talk are good too, asalso are gin and tonic."11. Create networks：给学生创造合作与展示的机会"An important catalyst for many ofus was Rene’s attitude to networking – he endeavored tosend all his students and postdocs to good scientific meetings because herealized how important it was for us to start making connections with peers inour field early in our careers. Right from the start we were exhorted to takeevery opportunity to talk to people because it was a strongly held opinion ofhis that you learnt just as much at breakfast conversations and inpost-conference drinks as you did from the presentations themselves. It was notuncommon to hear that he had lobbied for an opportunity for a postdoc to speakat a conference rather than doing so himselfbecause he recognized the value ofbecoming known, especially given our distance from North America andEurope." "Elizabeth has maintained contact with her previous students and is quickto make links between the many people she knows and any project that comesunder her discussion. She encourages collaboration and would very quickly pointto potential collaborators. Liz also would be quick toinclude students in onsocial occasions with high profile scientists visiting the university. Thisallowed students to get to know the scientists, and vice versa, and againserved as a time when students could voice their thoughts and ideas to veryknowledgeable and experienced researchers."小小的comment：我觉得B在这方面可以加强。比如，介绍他的“contacts to promote their students and young staff”， 比如“when a distinguished scientist comes to visit the School they, notonly introduce them, but also give them an opportunity to present or discusstheir work”，比如，如果B能多给我指点一些其他学校的合作研究者就更好了。12. Question & Listen：问好问题，激发好的答案，用一连串的好问题persistently keeps the questions flowing to help the answer comealong"Rather than directly providing mewith interesting ideas, he/she is able to ask the right questions to allow meto come up with my own theories and ideas.""Elspeth makes you feel special.She makes you feel valued and is genuinely interested in people’s welfare. She doesn’t preach. She questions and lets you speak. She listens and providesan environment where you can put forward ideas and then she facilitates theevolution of your own answers."13. Enhancing criticism：通过各种方式，锻炼学生的批判性思维"Catherine has focused on equippingpeople with the skills to be fully functioning members of the scientificcommunity, able to prepare grant applications, review manuscripts, speak atconferences and engage with scientific administrators in a constructive manner.Such a holistic approach to running a scientific group will ultimately bringenormous benefit to the group’s alumni, giving them all the skills necessary to carve out theirown niches in the academic world.""To the uninitiated, the scientificliterature is a baffling mass of conflicting ideas and results, accepted wisdomand false assumptions. The mentor can help by alerting the new student topapers that he/she considers of particular interest, and by going over the mostpertinent ones with the student in some detail. It also helps greatly for thelaboratory or department to establish a ‘journal club’ wherestudents regularly take turns dissecting one or two relevant current papers andtheir background, with input from other students and faculty members.Participating in such discussions can greatly sharpen the student’s critical acumen and judgement."这里还有一段更详细的建议，读起来比较高端，离我这种三年级博士生还有很远的感觉——“A journal club is one strategy, studentsshould not only participate in the critique of key papers but they shouldregularly take the lead by selecting, reviewing and critiquing papersthemselves. Students should be involved from the beginning in the team's grantapplications. They should also be put in the position of interviewers in mockinterviews. They should take the position of journal referee of paperssubmitted from the group and be encouraged to make a decision re acceptance,resubmission or rejection. The actual reviews that come back then provide thebasic for a very rich discussion. In summary, we should create a situation whereour students practice all the things we do that make us a scientist. "14. Enhancing writing：锻炼学生的科学写作能力，直到好的writing成为学生的第二天性"Given the vital role ofpublications and grants in any scientific career, learning to write effectivelyis an essential key to career advancement. Therefore, I try diligently toinstil the basics of clear scientific writing. After an extended discussion withthe student of the results to be shown in a paper, I nearly always let him/herprepare the first draft and then begin the reiterative revision process, using ‘track changes’ to show what has been done."所以，一个好的练习是present students with a manuscript theyhave not seen with either the abstract, introduction or discussion omitted andgetting them to write their version which can then be compared with theoriginal. 正如文章[2]指出，“The morewriting we give students to do the more we burden ourselves but that is part ofthe contract. A positive comment on all the mentors was that they gave feedbackon written work very quickly. Hard to do but essential.”15. Enhancing presentation: good readable slides, logicalpresentation, and clear speaking" She also expects students to givepractice talks in the group before presenting at conferences and has developeda good technique for improving seminar performances through questions andfeedback.""Although few students have anatural gift for giving a scientific talk, all can learn if given sufficientpractice and advice. I always suggest that the student provide me with arun-through a week or two before a presentation, to allow sufficient time forrevisions."文章作者还指出，“This was often embarrassing in thatthe standard of honours seminars and graduate student presentation was waybetter than the presentations of senior staff members the students experiencedat conferences. ”哈哈哈哈。16. Seek feedback：有什么优点和不足，听听学生怎么说有胆量的话，把这个“Self-assessment: how good a mentorare you?”丢给你的老板做吧~[1] Adrian Lee, Carina Denis and PhilipCampbell. Nature's guide for mentors. Nature 447, 791-797 (14th June 2007)[2] Adrian Lee and Larry Hulbert.Guidelines on Research Mentoring.
