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Reflection on Intercultural Doctoral Supervision: Insights from Phan 2023 - Studocu VIEWS FROM CAMPUS “My Supervisors Never Cease
to Believe in Me”: A Reflection of an Intercultural Doctoral Supervision Relationship DOCTORAL SUPERVISION Anh has been Ngoc at the Quynh Phan
mobility, I entered the supervisory relationship with
center of doctoral education discussions for
the self-positioning of myself as a student who used
long, as it is emphasized in previous studies
English as a foreign language, coming from the
that the influence of the supervisor(s) or faculty advisor(s)
Confucius-inherited education background, Vietnam,
and the traditional dyadic/triadic advisor(s)-advisee rela-
and valuing the teacher–student relationship in a
tionship are crucial to the learning process and success-
more hierarchical way than in Western education
ful completion of PhD students (Acker et al., 1994;
systems. Prior to my departure for the doctoral
Delamont et al., 1997; Golde, 2000; Lee, 2008; Pearson
sojourn in New Zealand, I had imagined that being a
& Brew, 2002). Supervision relationship is described
student not from Anglo-European backgrounds, I
as a complex and subtle form of teaching (in Acker
would be required to be assimilated to Western research
et al., 1994) that has the “tradition of implicit and unex-
approaches and practices. I had a stereotypical idea that
amined processes”(Pearson & Brew, 2002, p. 138). As
my supervisors would only talk about academic-related
there has been a remarkable increase in the number of
issues while students’personal lives would not matter
international doctoral students and domestic students
to them. I was afraid that I would not be “critical”
from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, what
enough, I thought I would try to be “more critical”to
has been the focus in scholarly discussions about doc-
prove to my supervisors that I could be a competent
toral supervision of late is intercultural supervision.
PhD student because Asian students are more than
Supervision pedagogy, as Manathunga (2011) empha-
often depicted as uncritical (Tran & Vu, 2018). My expe-
sizes, “is not a neutral intellectual zone…Culture, poli-
riences as a doctoral student demonstrated otherwise.
tics and history matter in supervision”(p. 368). Both Empowering Yourself
supervisors and students enter the relationship with
personal histories, culture, and social backgrounds.
As an international doctoral student in Education
The dominant discourse has tended to position
who is interested in migration, transnationalism and
international doctoral students “in ‘deficit’terms” © 2023 by The Author(s) DOI: 10.1177/10864822231195810 1 ABOUT CAMPUS / AUGUST 2023 23:12, 09/01/2026
Reflection on Intercultural Doctoral Supervision: Insights from Phan 2023 - Studocu
(Magyar & Robinson-Pant, 2011, p. 664) which describe
English and writing in English. At the same time, I
them as uncritical and having poor language skills.
was aware that as English is not my native language,
This deficit approach is normally translated into a
I would need to incessantly improve my lexical
need to integrate and fit international doctoral stu- repertoire.
dents into existing university cultures, disregarding
Since I was the first Vietnamese doctoral student
students’prior academic capital. My supervisors,
of both of my supervisors, there was a mixture of pride
however, were always the ones who reminded me
and fear in me. I felt proud to introduce my home
that my previous education was important to my aca-
values to them, but at the same time, I was afraid I
demic development, and my cultural identity
might not live up to their standards. The following
would offer unique perspective to my research literary
poem is a recorded moment when I was encouraged and knowledge repertoires. I was their first
by my professors to use my mother tongue to empower
Vietnamese PhD student, and instead of trying to
myself and my Vietnamese research participants in my
mold me into a Western way of thinking and writing, research project.
my supervisors encouraged me to explore ways to
incorporate my Vietnamese language and knowledge Your language
in my research. More often than not, the West, or the
“Have you ever thought about writing poems in
North, is considered the global hub of knowledge, your own language?
“the source of all Knowledge and Theory”while the Embrace it, you know
East, or the South, is regarded as “a giant laboratory Let your mother tongue voiced
to test European theories and as a site for gathering
It’s authentic”, my supervisors suggested.
data about people, flora and fauna”(Manathunga,
2017, p. 5). However, in our supervision meetings,
“I’m not sure I’m confident of
the West and the East were brought into dialogues.
crafting poems in my own language” Hesitated, me.
My supervisors constantly encouraged me to think of
the Vietnamese concepts and values that could be
Am I too familiar with academic English
used in my doctoral project, and to engage in respect-
that I’ve lost my own language sensibility?,
ful and rigorous critiques of my knowledge about So I thought.
my own cultural heritage. They often reminded me
that my PhD project should be read by Vietnamese
“Try, you will be fine”, they patted me in the back, people as well, not only As a sign of trust that academics who spoke the I was capable. English language, and therefore, my Vietnamese In our supervision meetings, Using post-colonial language could be the concepts in her study of bridge to reach wider the West and the East are intercultural supervision, audience. And as I Manathunga (2011, am a non-native English brought into dialogue. p. 369) raises an interest- speaker, sometimes I ing point of “moments of came up with words that ambivalence,”or “unho-
were not “quite English,”but according to my supervi-
meliness”which signifies “the cultural alienation,
sors’opinion, they became a new figurative metaphor
sense of uncertainty and discomfort that people experi-
when I crafted poems. Their sensitive and encouraging
ence as they adjust to new cultural practices”
comments made me restore my confidence in using
(Manathunga, 2007, p. 98). This ambivalence may
occur not only to doctoral candidates who are engaged
with alien social, cultural, and academic contexts but
also to supervisors who recognize that there is a great
ANH NGOC QUYNH PHAN (N.Q.A.Phan@kent.ac.uk)
deal that they do not or cannot know when they work
completed her PhD study at The University of Auckland,
with students from diverse backgrounds. In my case,
New Zealand. She is currently a Lecturer in Higher
the moments of ambivalence occurred from time to
Education at Centre for the Study of Higher Education,
time as I explained the way that I preferred to
University of Kent, United Kingdom. Her research has been
approach my co-national participants, or when I
published in journals such as Journal of Gender Studies,
explained the historical context of Vietnam that
Policy Futures of Education,Asia Pacific Journal of
might lead to certain ways of thinking and patterns
Education,Globalisations, Societies and Education,London
of behaviors. However, such moments were not
Review of Education, among many others.
unhomely, nor did they cause me any discomfort. 2 ABOUT CAMPUS / AUGUST 2023 23:12, 09/01/2026
Reflection on Intercultural Doctoral Supervision: Insights from Phan 2023 - Studocu The moments instead (Manathunga, 2017, p. 3). brought my supervisors Since they value spaces I was reminded that in seeking and me together in and places they have order for us to come to a been to, they considered the legitimisation of being an mutual agreement of how my cultural knowledge as we could work between relevant and insightful, academic in a Western world, and across cultures as a and they spent time team. My supervisors lis- understanding the geogra- my cultural root was visible tened to my explanation, phies that shaped my googled where I came intellectual development. and a crucial part of the from, and constantly dem- In contrast to the assimi- onstrated their apprecia- lationist supervision peda- process. tion of our differences in gogies, what I experienced cultures, languages, and is an intercultural super- social values. They consis- visory approach that does
tently emphasized that my Vietnamese identity
not regard knowledge as “universal and un-located”
deserves to be embraced evidently as a part of my
(Manathunga, 2017, p. 5) but as a kaleidoscope.
project and as a post-colonial effort to decolonize
Furthermore, supervision is a space that nurtures diver-
Western academic superiority. I accepted their chal-
sity and deep respect for multiple sources of knowledge
lenge and attempted to create found poetry made from
and ways of knowledge creation. Since I was always
my research participants’own words in Vietnamese.
treated as an intellectual equal to my supervisors, I
In so doing, I was reminded that in seeking the legit-
gained more confidence in my intercultural and bilin-
imization of being an academic in a Western world, gual knowledge.
my cultural root was visible and a crucial part of
the process. In that sense, elements of transcultura-
My experience of our intercultural pedagogical
tion should be present in supervisory relationship
space may have some implications for international
“as moments of creativity”when students critically
doctoral students and their supervisors. It can be
and carefully blend the parts of Western knowledge
argued that working with supervisors is one is the
they find useful with their own ways of thinking.
first stage of international doctoral students’being
Concurrently, supervisors “expand their ways of
exposed to international critique, leading to a possible
understanding the world, rethink their disciplinary
disorientation and reorientation into a new identity
knowledge and remain humble in the process of them-
(Carter & Gunn, 2017) and the re-examination of their
selves continuing to become learners”(Manathunga,
existing identities. Therefore, supervisors’patience 2011, p. 369–370).
and empathy is critical in allowing these processes to
Our pedagogical space of intercultural supervi-
happen. That students see their supervisors’attempts
sion, in fact, had its own history. My main supervisor
to understand and listen to their histories and existing
is a transnational scholar herself who used to study
social, cultural and academic capital is both a necessary
and work in the US before moving to Australia
and a sufficient condition for a fruitful teamwork process.
for several years and returning to New Zealand
The learning, un-learning, and re-learning processes
where she was born and raised. My co-supervisor
occurring within the intercultural space can be empower-
is a New Zealander who studies Pa keha identity
ing both students and supervisors, resulting in changes
and uses arts-based methodologies in her research
in their emotions and even embodiment. including poetry, fiction, drama, and painting. Balancing Your They both have super- Roles Supervision is a space that vised many international students from diverse eth- I was thankful to have nurtures diversity and deep nicities and national back- supervisors who con- grounds. This can explain stantly encouraged me
respect for multiple sources of their “mutual respect, to prioritize my children dialogic approaches to and family, to find joy in knowledge and ways of supervision and the rec- their cuddles and snug- ognition of the intellec- gles, and not to worry knowledge creation. tual resources diverse too much about not expe- students bring with them” riencing a PhD student 3 ABOUT CAMPUS / AUGUST 2023 23:12, 09/01/2026
Reflection on Intercultural Doctoral Supervision: Insights from Phan 2023 - Studocu life in all its shapes and supervision will step into forms. They suggested a the private sphere of doc- Their support and sympathy new perspective to look toral students’life and at the situation of being will create other dimen- can serve as an effective a mother while being a sions for future doctoral doctoral student as two education research. antidote to the uneasiness and complementary roles It is helpful for doc- that actually helped me toral students’growth guilt student mothers often to find the balance. As I when supervisors are had to have finished aware of their multiple suffer when they think they work in the office by the hats to wear, besides their time the children left identity as doctoral stu- are failing in both roles. their kindergarten and dents. Embracing their could only resume my other identities, such as a study the next morning parent, a spouse, and a
after they were back with their teachers, my brain
child is one way for supervisors to encourage their stu-
took necessary time to rest and my energy was not
dents to reconfigure these identities along with their doc-
sapped by a stressful workload. I would not have the
toral student/academic identity development, rather than
feeling that either my academic pursuit or my mater-
developing one at the cost of the others. The nuances of
nal duties doubled the stress, nor would I feel guilty
personal identity of an international doctoral student
for not doing well in both roles. My argument here is
can lead to deviance in their doctoral learning. In that
that although the supervisory role in the candidature
sense, supervisors should allow students to have time
of any PhD student is of high importance (Golde,
and space to negotiate their multiple identities.
2000; Lee, 2008; Pearson & Brew, 2002), it is even
more crucial in the case of graduate student Reflective Notes
mothers who may experience “a kind of stigmatised
social identity”(Zhang, 2020, p. 314), which refers
The supervisory practices I had highlighted “a pedagog-
to the violation of “a set of appearances and actions
ical site of rich possibility as well as, at times, a place of
as well as beliefs and attitudes that can be reason- puzzling and confronting complexity”(Grant &
ably expected of each member”in academia
Manathunga, 2011, p. 351). What I learn from my super-
(Eversole et al., 2013, p. 161). In this sense, although
visors and our relationship is that any relationship will
supervisors may not act as judges who give the
work as long as there is honesty, tolerance, understand-
verdict of “not guilty”to graduate student mothers,
ing, openness, patience, and trust. Transculturation
their support and sympathy can serve as an effective moments
in our supervisory relationship
antidote to the uneasiness and guilt student mothers
were promoted by “dialogue (or dialogic interaction, com-
often suffer when they think they are failing in both
munication, exchange) between cultures, between
roles (Brown & Watson, 2010; Haynes et al., 2012).
knowledges, and between supervisors, students and
Supervision is never solitary work, but a close-knit
others such as peers –dialogues that take place in differ-
collaboration between the advisors and their advisees
ent forms at different stages with different levels of
because the doctorate is “a relational and pedagogical
engagement”(Xu & Grant, 2017, p. 2). I was also
project of student/supervisor development and identity
taught by my professors that the supervisors’traditional
formation”(Thomson & Walker, 2010, p. 4). This
position of authority as “the academic and cultural
process, as Magyar and Robinson-Pant (2011) notice,
‘insider’, the ‘knower’” (Magyar & Robinson-Pant,
becomes even “more complex when differing cultural
2011, p. 673) who is familiar with implicit rules will practices and multiple be challenged. Instead, identities are involved” students can take the (p. 665). Besides the role of the knowers who As I told them I hoped I could professional assistance, have higher awareness of attention has been called and sensitivity to differing survive my PhD programme, to the facilitative role of cultural practices, which supervisors in their doc- contributes to the feeling they assured me I would be toral students’emotional of being an academic in a and personal concerns as student like myself. What able to thrive in academia. well (Pearson & Kayrooz, makes me, as a student, 2004). This aspect of feel empowered is that 4 ABOUT CAMPUS / AUGUST 2023 23:12, 09/01/2026
Reflection on Intercultural Doctoral Supervision: Insights from Phan 2023 - Studocu
my supervisors have never ceased to believe in my poten-
Magyar, A., & Robinson-Pant, A. (2011). Internationalising
tials and competences. When I told them I hoped I could
doctoral research: Developing theoretical perspectives
survive my PhD program, they assured me I would be
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