Aditi Rajpal

Aditi Rajpal is a 2021 Commonwealth Scholar from India.

An opportunity to give back

I was delighted to give back to the CSC community through the Alumni Mentoring Programme. My main motivation for joining the programme was the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by sharing my knowledge, experiences, and insights with the next generation of Commonwealth Scholars. 

I owe a great deal to the CSC. My Scholarship experience, five years ago, helped me discover more about myself, broaden my perspectives, and strengthen my commitment to creating positive change. Becoming a Mentor has been a rewarding way to support others as they embark on a similar journey. 

Exchanging ideas across cultures

My Mentee, from Kenya, is currently studying for a Master’s degree at Imperial College London. Our mentoring relationship began with a rich exchange of cultures before evolving into discussions around our shared background in chemical engineering and mutual research interests. 

As a former Commonwealth Master’s Scholar at Oxford, it was particularly rewarding to see him awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship and prepare to begin a DPhil at the university that played such an important role in my own journey. I have been proud to witness his growth throughout the programme, especially through the academic and group projects in which he consistently excelled, demonstrating exceptional organisation, dedication, and time management skills. 

Navigating the academic journey

One of the aspects I valued most was the reflective nature of our conversations. As I approach the completion of my own PhD, I was able to share lessons from my academic journey, including strategies for maintaining balance and wellbeing while navigating a demanding programme. At the same time, I learned a great deal from his experiences and perspectives. Supporting his development has been immensely rewarding, and I am excited to see all that he will achieve in this next chapter. 

We were fortunate that our locations allowed us to meet in person at Imperial College London while I was attending a conference. The opportunity to take our mentoring conversations beyond the virtual setting was a real highlight of the programme. 

Opportunities for future collaboration

We are already looking forward to future meet ups, including in Cambridge, where I hope to introduce him to the university and share insights into research on sustainable aviation fuels and geological carbon storage for climate action. We also hope to reconnect in Oxford as he begins the next stage of his academic journey. 

Being a Mentor has been both personally and professionally rewarding. It has been a privilege to support a current Commonwealth Scholar, learn from their experiences, and give back to the Commonwealth community in a meaningful way. 

Aditi Rajpal is a 2021 Commonwealth Scholar from India. She completed a Master’s in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry at University of Oxford.