Pracademics in international and development cooperation. Case studies from China and the Middle East region

This paper explores the unique role of pracademics in bridging academic and practical perspectives within international and development cooperation, using two case studies. The first examines the author’s dual role as a full professor at Xiamen University and a senior expert in German international cooperation in China. The second focuses on a program supporting Arab Christian communities in the Middle East, initiated by academics and practitioners and backed by a German Christian donor agency. Both distinct cases highlight the challenges pracademics face in aligning the divergent priorities of academics, who emphasise specialised topics and peer-reviewed publications, and practitioners, who prioritise short-term performance indicators. These challenges are particularly pronounced in politically sensitive environments.