Mentoring Philosophy ( R I S E )
Our mentoring philosophy is grounded in four core principles: Respect, Independence, Scholarship, and Excellency. Together, these values define how we cultivate an inclusive, rigorous, and supportive research environment for all members of the group.
Respect
All group members are respected as individual regardless of their background, experience, or capabilities. We aim to foster an inclusive, supportive, and collegial research environment. While we promote hard-working ethics, we recognize flexible timetable and personal well-being. Besides the group meetings, subgroup meeting, manuscript clinics, and other occasions, group member are encouraged to arrange one-to-one meeting whenever needed to ensure a supportive and inclusive group environment.
Independence
Group members are expected to take full ownership of their research, proactively pursuing and leveraging all available resources. We encourage independent thinking, clear organization of ideas, and regular communication of research progress. Members are expected to critically evaluate their own results: Do the findings make sense? Why or why not? How do they compare with existing literature? Developing intellectual independence and scientific rigor is central to successful doctoral and postdoctoral training.
Scholarship
I actively support holistic training in a comprehensive set of skills required to become a successful scientist. These include oral and written communication, publishing in top‑tier journals, grant preparation, ethical conduct, and professionalism. I view postgraduate training as a transformative process through which students evolve into confident researchers, critical thinkers, and future leaders in academia, industry, and society at large.
Excellency
Group members are encouraged to strive toward their best “possible self” through pursuing clearly articulated, realistic, and continually refined goals. Effective time management is not about doing more, but about setting priorities in an environment filled with competing demands. As the mentoring relationship progresses, mentee are expected to assume increasing responsibility, developing intellectual ownership, independent problem‑solving skills, and original research directions.