Virtual mentorship in academia: a collaborative autoethnography of cross-border academics

Mentorship plays an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the professional development of faculty members in higher education. However, studies capturing the experiences of mentors and mentees engaged in virtual international mentoring programs are scarce. Through a collaborative autoethnography qualitative approach, personalised reflections of a mentor and two mentees encapsulate the motivations, mentoring relationships, challenges and benefits in participating in the virtual international mentoring program. These reflections are not mutually exclusive but interplay to assist not only the mentee’s but also the mentor’s research career trajectory. These findings contribute to the higher education literature in filling an empirical gap and supporting virtual mentoring for research career advancement, and present practical implications.