Removing barriers for displaced academics

Academics and students displaced due to conflict and unrest often face barriers when attempting to integrate and continue their professional pursuits in the country they have migrated to. To remove these barriers, understanding attitudes, structures and perceptions around displaced academics are crucial.

Using a survey, we observed that, encouragingly, there is a relatively high number of support initiatives available to help displaced academics and students. More problematic were the clear concerns that were raised over the lack of concrete and practical information available regarding how to best assist displaced academics who want to continue their studies and research at European universities and research centres.

Our survey highlights ‘predictable’ barriers, such as lack of financial and administrative resources, together with more complex issues, such as concern over the fairness of programmes designed specifically to assist displaced academics. Tackling these issues in an evidence-based manner remains more important than ever.