By Eleonora Alabrese, Boon Han Koh, Anastasia Papadopoulou, Tommaso Reggiani and Dario Sansone.
Mentoring plays an important role in academic careers. Beyond providing research advice, mentors help ECRs navigate professional decisions, build networks and understand the often-unwritten rules of academic life. This support can be particularly valuable during the transition from doctoral studies to an independent research career. Yet mentoring opportunities are not equally distributed. Access to experienced advisers and professional networks often depends on institutional affiliation, personal connections and socioeconomic background. Researchers from minority and marginalised groups may therefore face additional barriers, regardless of their research potential. Making mentoring more accessible can help ensure that talent and effort, rather than personal circumstances, play a greater role in shaping academic careers. This was the motivation behind the inaugural Minorities in Economics Mentoring Workshop, held at University of Bristol on 13 & 14 July 2026.
The event brought together late-stage PhD students and early-career economists from underrepresented backgrounds with established researchers for two days of research presentations, mentoring and discussions about academic life.
The main focus of the workshop was participants’ research and career development. Mentees presented their work across a wide range of fields, including labour economics, gender, migration, development, health and education.
Mentors read participants’ papers in advance and provided detailed feedback during dedicated meetings. Participants also commented on one another’s research, creating opportunities for peer learning and for developing connections with researchers working in different institutions and fields.
To reduce financial barriers to participation, the programme fully covered mentees’ accommodation and reimbursed travel expenses up to €300.
The programme also provided opportunities to discuss aspects of academic life that rarely feature in formal doctoral training.
The two keynote lectures offered complementary perspectives. Juan Vargas (University of Turin and Collegio Carlo Alberto) explored how geography and access to professional networks can shape academic careers, highlighting mentoring’s potential to reduce the role of luck. Imran Rasul (UCL and IFS) examined the relationship between diversity and the research economists produce, alongside practical advice on developing research ideas and navigating the publication process.
Two panel discussions provided further insights. Daniel Carvajal, Eleonora Guarnieri and Juan Vargas discussed academic career structures and the challenges of moving between countries, in a session chaired by Anastasia Papadopoulou. Sonya Krutikova, Zahra Murad and Sarah Smith participated in a second panel, chaired by Eleonora Alabrese, exploring the profession’s hidden curriculum, including the academic job market, publishing, peer review and promotion.
Throughout the workshop, the organisers placed particular emphasis on creating opportunities for participants to ask questions, receive informed advice, and develop professional relationships beyond their home institutions.
The workshop was made possible through the generous financial support of the European Economic Association’s Standing Committee on Minorities in Economics (MinE), the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the University of Bristol, which also hosted the event. The Royal Economic Society supported the initiative by promoting the event and helping it reach the wider economics community. This collective institutional support helped reduce barriers to participation and made the inaugural workshop possible.
Eleonora Alabrese (Bath), Boon Han Koh (Exeter), Anastasia Papadopoulou (Bristol), Tommaso Reggiani (Cardiff) and Dario Sansone (Exeter) organised the conference. Special thanks go to the keynote speakers, panelists, and mentors for generously sharing their time, expertise, and professional experience. Particular appreciation also goes to all the PhD students and early-career researchers (more than 25) who participated, presented their work, and contributed to the discussions. Their engagement and willingness to exchange ideas were central to the workshop
The inaugural conference is intended to lay the groundwork for further mentoring activities and continued collaboration across the economics community.
The longer-term objective is to make the advice, networks and opportunities that support academic careers more accessible, particularly to researchers who might otherwise face barriers in accessing them.
Contact: ReggianiT@cardiff.ac.uk