ABSTRACT
This review article explores the often-unspoken power dynamics between doctoral supervisors and students, focusing on the taboo surrounding the discussion of these imbalances. Power differentials in supervisory relationships significantly influence the doctoral experience. However, historical, cultural and institutional norms often prevent open discussions about these power structures, allowing them to persist unchallenged. Adopting a cross-cultural perspective, this article examines supervisory power relations across Australia, South Africa and the South Pacific region connected through a consortium in the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), a Research England funded project. Whilst Australian academic culture is often seen as egalitarian, hidden hierarchies persist. In South Africa, power asymmetries are deeply entangled with social and racial histories, whilst in the South Pacific region, respect for authority can inhibit dissent. Framed through the lens of taboo, this article highlights how silences around power impact doctoral education and calls for culturally attuned strategies to address them.