I’m looking for advice regarding PhD support here at NUS. I am on scholarship and really struggling with the relationship with my supervisor.

They make extremely mean and disrespectful comments, (eg. “I don’t think you’re smart enough to do a PhD”), compare us against other students, constantly threaten to report me to admin or gaslight me when I mention horrible things they’ve said or done before.

Who can I talk to who isn’t going to tell my supervisor? I’m worried TAC people will tell him given they’re the same field and in regular professional contact.

Why is there no system in place to check if PhD students are okay? Other universities have regular check in emails with a neutral 3rd party member of staff or have anonymous reporting.

None of this is set out in the handbooks, who is on my side? I’m extremely worried I’m going to lose my job and future because of some power tripping supervisor.

Netizens’ comments

Change to a new supervisor. All the best!

U can reach out to deans office. Or department of graduates studies. They shld b able to help u. There alot of help u can seek. Also can look at the respective graduate student society

Look for a new supervisor, but you should prepare a case for the prospective advisor to take you on. Your interests, your past work, your background, any preliminary stuff you’re working on… It’s a big commitment and you should pull your weight in establishing the partnership. This should be even more necessary if you think some poisoning of the well has been going on.… the upside of this would be, talk to enough people this way, and you’d rehabilitate your rep. You can even talk to people to just learn more about their area, and ask their advice on who would fit.