Displaced academics’ mobility and translocational positionalities: ‘academic poverty’, ‘academic death’, and ‘academic re-existence’

Abstract There is abundant research on academic mobility, yet the displacement of academics remains neglected within mobility frameworks, despite being a significant form of scholarly movement. Existing research tends to homogenise displaced academics’ experiences through deficit-focused narratives that emphasise loss and marginalisation. This paper expands academic mobility frameworks to account for displacement as a dynamic, non-linear process, offering a more comprehensive perspective beyond exilic narratives that may underemphasise the complex interplay of structural constraints and agency. Drawing on two rounds of in-depth interviews with 20 displaced Syrian academics across various host countries, and informed by translocational positionality , this study demonstrates that displaced academics’ trajectories are shaped by shifting positionalities of both privilege and disadvantage as displaced individuals and as academics. To conceptualise these complexities, the paper introduces three key phases— academic poverty , academic death , and academic re-existence— to provide a nuanced understanding of their various positionalities as a heterogenous group in diverse host societies. Beyond physical mobility, the findings highlight non-physical dimensions of mobility, highlighting intellectual mobility and epistemic exclusion within dominant academic hierarchies. By amplifying the voices of displaced academics, this study calls for higher education institutions and policymakers to move beyond temporary support mechanisms and adopt structural reforms that recognise displacement as a legitimate form of academic mobility. A more ethical and inclusive academic environment should acknowledge both the vulnerabilities and contributions of displaced scholars, ensuring their meaningful integration into global knowledge production.