Building bridges through mentorship: Creating impact across borders

RSC: Furat, could you tell us a bit about your journey from Syria to this point?

Furat Al Yafi: I graduated in 2010 and the Syrian revolution started in 2011, so I was working in my home city of Homs and then the capital Damascus during the war and it was a terrible, stressful situation with planes going overhead and bombardments so regularly.

In 2013, I moved to Turkey but I was not allowed to continue my career as a pharmacist as I am not a Turkish citizen, so I immersed myself in humanitarian work. I volunteered in a community pharmacy and small hospital and did a programme management course to help safeguard women and children and support them in camps in north-west Syria.

Eventually I decided to come to the UK as I dreamed of continuing my studies and work. I was accepted on a ‘Sanctuary Scholarship’ at Bath University for refugee students, and I did my masters last year, so it's been a long journey but I'm safe, free and happy here.

RSC: How was that experience of arriving in the UK and what are your plans for the future?

FAY: When I first came to the UK, I felt very alone and didn't know how to start from scratch in a country with a very different culture but I wanted to succeed. I choose to have a positive impact on the people around me and in my community, even if they are in Syria; that is a decision I made and I will stick to it and try to do I can in my studies.

I am applying for a PhD, looking for work, and I have joined a small programme with a couple of people from America and the UK called Revive, which is trying to support the rehabilitation of the health sector. For now, we are trying to focus on one hospital or maybe one pharmacy, but then we would like to expand this to more jobs.

RSC: How did you first come across Broadening Horizons and what has it meant to you?

FAY: I heard about Broadening Horizons during my studies at Bath, it felt like a door I could push and use to take the first steps in chemistry – it could help me know more about what's available in terms of jobs and what working in chemistry is like for people in the UK, and it’s very different from Syria and Turkey.

When I did my masters, I chose to do chemistry research, rather than biology or something related to my degree as a pharmacist. I was fascinated by the programme and this wonderful, amazing world in chemistry. My project was on using boronic acid catalysts to synthesise N-heterocycles in an environmentally friendly way, which is very different to my degree, so doing this really has broadened my horizons actually.

I don't want to lose contact with people from this network and we have a big WhatsApp group where we support each other, plus I have made friends with someone else from Syria in the cohort. I want to listen and learn more and understand everyone’s experiences, and when searching for work experience, their advice and recommendations can be very helpful. Without Broadening Horizons, I wouldn’t have this community.

RSC: How did your mentoring partnership come about and can you describe how it has been for you both?

Freda Tait: I have mentored individuals in the past within AstraZeneca and externally, but this programme really attracted me because I come from a chemistry background.

The form asked about preferences and requirements and, as a first-generation migrant myself, I said I would be keen to hear from individuals looking for mentors from underrepresented backgrounds. I understand that experience of being in a new country and not having those connections or networks.

FAY: When I heard also about the mentorship, I decided to go for it. To be honest, I was expecting someone less experienced than Freda and I was so impressed because she has had some amazing experience and is doing a great job with AstraZeneca. I always dream of one day working for AstraZeneca so when I found out she works there, I was really looking forward to meeting her.

FT: We talk every month via video call, but I hope to have the opportunity to host her where I work, and give a flavour of not just the labs, but also clinical development and manufacturing because so many people come from a chemical sciences background and go on to do different things.

RSC: Has it lived up to your expectations then?

FT: This has been a really good relationship and I expect it to continue long after the cohort finishes. Furat’s story is incredible – the resilience she has demonstrated, moving to different countries, supporting her community through her humanitarian work.

Hearing her talk about her life, the way she supports her family and does so much, and going from her life as a pharmacist to what she’s done in the chemical sciences, wow, she’s one of the most inspirational people I know.

FAY: I try to use these meetings to ask about anything relating to her experience and use them to increase my confidence in my communication with people in chemistry jobs. I’ve been developing, for example, my interview skills and working to navigate more of the job opportunities out there, so I have learned a lot from her.

When I get a job in the chemical sciences, the first person I tell will be Freda – and hopefully I will be able to do that soon!

FT: Furat’s story is one of entrepreneurial spirit. At AstraZeneca, we develop and deliver life-changing medicines to patients, the work is important, but my work as a mentor is different.

If I have taught Furat anything, helped her in any way or even just helped her to keep going and keep learning and developing, that will mean so much. This has probably been one of the most impactful things I've ever done.

RSC: What would you say to anyone considering being a mentor or mentee?

FAY: No matter what experience someone has, you still have something to share and talk about with your mentor. It’s a really good opportunity to build your confidence, communication and other skills.

Some people might feel like they’re not good enough to have it but that's not true, because this is a structured programme that will help and guide you so you can take the next steps.

FT: I have got more than what I expected. It has made such an impact on me, and I've learned as much during this as I've been able to support as a mentor. I would say as much as they call it mentorship, for me, it’s felt like a reverse mentorship because I have been inspired.

• Learn more about Broadening Horizons online by visiting rsc.li/broadeninghorizons