When I ask in workshops, many of the qualities of that make a good student are desirable for supervisors.

In addition, students want their supervisors to be experts, a supervisor who is motivating and flexible, who is creative and patient.

Students want supervisors who are good communicators, have problem solving skills and are generous with their time, their ideas, and yes, their expertise and patience.

Most importantly, students want supervisors who are both approachable and available, who are well networked, and can give direct honest feedback with kindness and in a way that helps the students see where they can grow, rather than where they feel inadequate.

Of course, a responsibility of PhD supervisors or supervisors of any academic programme is that you are familiar with and able to guide the student through the process of getting that degree qualification. You must be familiar with the rules and regulations, the codes of practice, with the timelines and the deadlines and the requirements at each stage.