Sharing the burdens of responsibility for a better future in transnational academia: Reflections of displaced Syrian academics on an atypical academic development event

Abstract

Academics in conflict and refugee contexts often work in settings that are at stark odds to those typically portrayed in academic development research, and can encounter different challenges. Normative academic development resources can therefore be inadequate, inappropriate or inaccessible to academics marginalised by conflict or displacement. This paper reflects on a round table event held in June 2019, where Syrian academics gathered together with counterparts from post/conflict contexts including Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kenya, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Serbia and South Africa to share experiences and formulate strategies. This short paper foregrounds the perspectives of Syrian academics who participated, and their insights into the value and challenges associated with international fora concerning academic development in conflict contexts.