“A very positive experience, I have a new colleague and friend” – from Australia to Iran

September 17, 2021

Late last year we announced our first group of e-mentors and e-mentees as part of our new E-mentoring Program. This program was launched to ensure that, despite COVID-19 and its travel and life restrictions, we could continue to help develop the technical and organisational skills and expertise of agricultural researchers, scientists and policy makers in developing countries.

This program builds on the success of our long term existing Mentoring Program, which has seen face-to-face interaction in overseas countries, backed up by electronic contact, and our conference scholar mentoring program, matching young NextGen researchers with experienced Australians who attend our conference.

We hope that these e-connections not only deliver positive and targeted skill-sharing outcomes, but also enduring connections between the Crawford Fund, the volunteering mentors and their mentees, and the institutions and countries involved.

We now present our latest e-mentoring pair reflecting on their experience, Paul Fox, visiting Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide; and independent consultant at GLOBALedge and Shahram Mahmoud Soltani, Assistant Professor, soil chemistry and plant nutrition at the Rice Research Institute of Iran.

You can also read earlier reflections from our e-mentors in Australia and their e-mentees in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji the Philippines, Ghana, Malaysia and the Philippines and Malaysia again!

E-MENTOR/E-MENTEE PAIRING – Paul Fox (Australia) and Shahram Mahmoud Soltani (Iran)

MENTOR
Paul Fox
Visiting Research Fellow
School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide
Independent Consultant at GLOBALedge

What motivated you to be a mentor?
I have skills and experience that I wish to share as well as wanting to remain engaged in the fraternity of international agricultural development.

What are the main goals you are focusing on from your agreed mentoring plan?
Agronomic trials to support the sustainability of rice-based systems and facilitating access to rice germplasm to minimise the impacts of sanctions against Iran.

What are the various ways you are communicating and what combination are you finding most useful?
A balance of more frequent email communication augmented with less frequent Skype sessions works well. (Zoom cannot be used from Iran.)

What are you getting out of our e-mentoring program?
Professional stimulation and collegiality.

Any lessons you could share with the other e-mentors?
Perhaps I under-estimated the time involved or at least let things slip at times.

Anything more to add?
A very positive experience, I have a new colleague and friend. I would be so keen to visit Iran.

MENTEE
Shahram Mahmoud Soltani
Assistant Professor
Soil Chemistry and Plant Nutrition
Rice Research Institute of Iran

What motivated you to nominate to be a mentee?
Increase my knowledge, experience and up to date with the newest world findings about my interest.

What are the main goals you are focusing on from your agreed mentoring plan?
Seed priming with micronutrient.

How is the e-mentoring helping your development?
Discussion, sending the last findings, his experience.

Any lessons you could share with the other e-mentees?
Continues relation with mentor, hardwork and deep searching about our countries problem.

Anything more to add?
I also appreciate Dr. Paul Fox for his kind and helpful guidance.