A doctoral student of the Political Science program conducted a session on «Selfmanagement»

On October 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., B B.Massatova, a second-year doctoral student in the Political Science programme, held a mentoring session on “Self-Management” for fourth-year Political Science students as part of her teaching practicum. The event was attended by her practicum supervisor, Professor R. A. Nurtazina, Doctor of Political Sciences, and the group’s academic advisor, M. Yu. Onuchko, Candidate of Political Sciences, from the Department of Political Science, Faculty of International Relations.

The event included a training workshop in which students discussed personal growth strategies and life strategies for the coming years. Particular attention was given to purposeful goal-setting, identifying priorities, and finding ways to balance academic work, professional development, health and well-being, and personal interests.

The practical component focused on mind mapping—a method for generating and structuring ideas through visual maps. Students were introduced to the key principles of the technique popularised by Tony Buzan and its applications in planning personal tasks, preparing academic assignments, and organising information.

Working with mind maps gave participants the opportunity to develop planning, self-management, and time-management skills. The practical exercise “My Goals” involved identifying key areas—study, goals, time, and resources—defining a priority task to pursue after graduating from university, and setting a timeline for its completion. The discussion focused on identifying potential obstacles and choosing a concrete first step towards achieving a goal in the context of professional development.

The session also explored ideas from Breakthrough Thinking: clarifying the underlying purpose, envisioning a desired future, adopting a systems approach to problem-solving, and continually improving plans. These approaches helped connect the discussion of long-term life aspirations with practical actions in the present.

The mentoring session aimed to develop creative and systems thinking, self-reflection, planning, and independent decision-making skills.

The event highlighted the importance of taking responsibility for personal development and demonstrated how mind maps can help turn ideas and intentions into a coherent action plan as students define their future direction as professionals and active members of society.