Navigating Academia as a Transnational Scholar from the Global South

This book centres on the stories of transnational early-career scholars from the Global South who started their postgraduate studies as adult immigrants and international students. This is a fascinating guide to navigating academia for those whose biographies and educational trajectories are not fully recognized by the traditional academia.

Inspired by and rooted in Indigenous epistemologies women of colour feminism, and decolonial studies, the authors – each transnational scholars from the Global South – consider the knowledge systems brought from home that helped them to navigate academia in a foreign country and the knowledges they wished they had before entering postgraduate study. Chapters cover:

• Overcoming internalised fears and the lack of a sense of belonging
• Recognising the diverse and abundant knowledges that transnational scholars bring to academia
• Building healthy relationships with advisors and mentors
• Dealing with unexpected events outside of academia while away from home
• Seeking jobs during and after the postgraduate degree

Including contributions from leading transnational academics and supported by letters, poems and drawings, this book serves as a source of information and inspiration for transnational early-career scholars navigating academia.

‘Insider Guides to Success in Academia’ offers support and practical advice to doctoral students and early-career researchers. Covering the topics that really matter, but which often get overlooked, this indispensable series provides practical and realistic guidance to address many of the needs and challenges of trying to operate, and remain, in academia.

These neat pocket guides fill specific and significant gaps in current literature. Each book offers insider perspectives on the often-implicit rules of the game – the things you need to know but usually aren’t told by institutional postgraduate support, researcher development units, or supervisors – and will address a practical topic that is key to career progression. They are essential reading for doctoral students, early-career researchers, supervisors, mentors, or anyone looking to launch or maintain their career in academia.