Mentoring and Coaching Scholars.
Dr Les Joynes
NYU Certified Coach and GoldAward® Mentor
Hi, my name is Les. I am a University of London GoldAward Mentor and NYU-certified coach based in New York.
I am creating a series of one-to-one coaching sessions via Zoom to support research scholars, educators and artists going to and coming from South Asia. Recipient of the 2022 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award for India I am recipient of the US Department of State sponsored CAORC/ACMS Field Research Fellowship for Educational Exchange in Mongolia (2016), Fulbright-Hays US Public Diplomacy Award for Mongolia (2014) and China (2017) and am trained in bi-lateral workshop development as US Department of State sponsored ZERO1 Art and Technology artist (2019) and was recipient of the RTP-SCA Fulbright Regional Grant to Sri Lanka where I presented on educational exchange at University of Colombo, University of Kelaniya, University of Visual and Performing Arts and Colombo National Museum.
In 2022, I served as Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi examining the intersections of South Asian performance and art. In India I was Visiting Associate Professor at Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan in West Bengal and Visiting Artist at Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai. I led a Fulbright workshop on curriculum design at Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management in Vizakh and presented on cross-cultural research and career planning at Velammal Schools in Chennai.
Educated in the US, UK and Japan, I bring thirty years of international experience. A University of London GoldAward Mentor and New York University trained coach, I have created mentoring and coaching at California State University, University of Melbourne, Yale University’s Yale Center for British Art and while a Fulbright Scholar I created India’s first mentorship program serving tribal communities. I bring twenty years advising and mentoring experience in the arts, diplomacy, education, sciences and management. I recently initiated pilot coaching initiatives at Yale and University of Melbourne in Australia. In 2022, I initiated India’s first Mentorship Program serving tribal communities in Nagaland. In September 2023 I launched an MBA coaching series serving graduate students at California State Polytechnic University.
I began my career as a management consultant in Brussels and Frankfurt and advised Fortune 500 international organizations including Du Pont, 3M, General Motors, General Electric, Dow, Braun, and Bayer. I have served as an Executive and Leadership Coach to Columbia MBAs and EMBAs from 31 countries. A member of the Columbia Neurological Society and research scholar on education and leadership, I am building new coaching models for international research scholars.
Exploring how education builds mutual understanding across cultures since 1986 I am recipient of the Taiwan Ministry of Education Scholarship (2016) for the study of Mandarin, the Japan Ministry of Culture Monbusho Scholarship (1997-2001). Also possessing twelve years training in the arts and culture, Following my BA cum laude in History from M.Sc. Management from Boston University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB) Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences. During my MBA I studied under the Organizational Behavior specialist, Abraham Rami Shani with whom I co-published on parallel learning systems in technology transfer. I later received graduate degrees from University of London (1997) and Musashino Art University (2001), was awarded my PhD from Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK and Post-Doctorate from the School of Art and Communications (2017) at University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Areas of Mentoring
Education and Teaching, Sciences and Humanities, Art History, Doctoral and Dissertation, Heritage Studies and Conservation, Arts and Culture Management, Museum Studies; Business and Economics; Environmental Studies; Higher Education Administration; International Affairs; International Legal Studies; Journalism and Mass Communication; Public Administration; Public Health; Urban and Regional Planning; and Gender Studies.
Public Diplomacy and Culture Projects in Asia, Americas and EMEA
Fulbright Senior Scholar in Arts, Performance and Culture of South Asia at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi. (2022)
Field research in Delhi, Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, created Fulbright workshops in Andhra Pradesh. (2022)
Research on storytelling and identity of the Naga People in the Northeast at the border region with Myanmar. (2022)
Fulbright workshops on higher education at Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM). (2022)
Visiting faculty at Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan and Visiting Professor of the Royal University of Bhutan in Takse. (2025)
US-China collaboration in the arts and culture, the Inside Out Art Museum, Beijing. (2017)
DoS/ ECA sponsored presentations on intercultural collaboration, Mongolia. (2015)
US-Mongolian Youth Arts Outreach, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (2024)
US-Indian Youth Arts Outreach, Nagaland, India (2022)
US-Bhutan collaboration workshops (in preparation 2022)
US-India collaboration in performance (West Bengal, 2022)
US-Brazil-Turkey Collaborations (Bauhaus, Singapore 2009)
US-German-Australia Collaborations (Bauhaus, Berlin 2009)
US-India collaboration in arts and performance (New Delhi, 2022)
US-Russia collaboration (St Petersburg, 2017)
US-Mongolia Collaborations (Ulaanbaatar, 2014)
US-Korea Collaborations (Seoul, 2012)
US-Brazil Collaborations (Sao Paulo, 2012), University of Sao Paulo Post-doctoral research.
US-Singapore Collaborations (Singapore, 2009). Singapore Citation Award.
US-France-UK Collaborations (France 2009) Harlem Arts Alliance Award
US-Japan Collaboration, Japan Ministry of Culture MeXT Scholar (1997-2001)
International Exchange in the arts (Poland, 1992, 1993) and France (1995)
“Dr. Joynes is a phenomenal coach who influences how I think, plan, and act, to achieve my ambitions and maximize my potential. His methods combine creative and strategic problem solving techniques that ensure that the paths I define and choose simplify complexities and focus on the most important outcomes. Our work has helped me grow as a more impactful partner to my clients and influential leader and member on my teams” - Peter Sun | Consultant, McKinsey & Company
Coaching is recognized today as a value-add resource for international organizations, diplomatic communities and government working in multi-cultural environments. It is my pleasure to recommend Dr. Les Joynes as an experienced and thoughtful leadership coach. Experienced across thirty-five countries, Les works alongside leaders and teams to build strategic goals, team effectiveness, mission focus, and maintain work-life balance. - Anthony Diaz | Chief, Political and Economic Affairs, U.S. Embassy
As a venture capital professional, it's easy to get caught up in a daily routine and relegate career development decisions to our "someday" to-do list. A leadership coach, Dr. Joynes engaged unique approaches to align my professional and personal goals and work-life balance. I highly recommend him. - Hugues Dongmo | Vice President, XBTO Humla Ventures, New York
Les’s unique coaching style blends his diverse training and deep experience in both creativity and management enabling him to work effectively with leaders as they build their pathways towards their professional and work-life balance goals. - Paulette Rao MCC, BCC
