Learning from asymmetry: reflections on cooperation and supervision in a globalized academic field

Purpose Internationalization is a central objective in higher education, yet its implementation often remains more symbolic than transformative. This paper reflects on two field-based experiences within an Italian university: a North–South academic partnership and the supervision of international doctoral students in a biomedical laboratory. It examines how cooperation and inclusion may unintentionally reproduce epistemic hierarchies, misalignments and uneven distributions of responsibility. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a reflective narrative methodology grounded in the authors' direct involvement in two situated cases. The first explores a capacity-building partnership with a Global South institution; the second focuses on doctoral supervision in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) context marked by linguistic, cultural and institutional distance. Both cases are interpreted through the lenses of epistemic asymmetry, intercultural negotiation and institutional readiness. Findings The cases reveal recurring tensions in cross-cultural academic relationships, including mismatched expectations, temporal dissonance and implicit norms. These frictions reflect deeper divergences in academic worldviews and institutional logics. In both contexts, continuity was sustained not through full alignment, but through compensatory adjustments and uneven redistributions of academic labor. Formal inclusion did not ensure meaningful engagement or epistemic reciprocity. Originality/value This paper offers a dual perspective from a single institutional setting, linking international cooperation and doctoral supervision within one analytical framework. It contributes to debates on internationalization by showing how asymmetry is not only experienced as friction but also actively managed in practice. The paper calls for a shift from compliance-driven models toward more dialogic, reflexive and context-sensitive approaches, particularly relevant in STEM environments where research, teaching, and supervision intersect.