Journal article
Internationalisation at home … but now what? Early career academics navigating borders, boundaries and ‘grietas’
Sport, education and society, Vol.First online, pp.1-17
25/07/2026
Appears in Recent Faculty of Education Publications
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Abstract
Internationalisation has become a defining feature of higher education,intended to enrich institutions and foster global competencies amongstudents and staff. Yet, despite its promise, internationalisation remainsshaped by neoliberal and colonial dynamics, generating bothopportunities and challenges for those who cross academic and culturalborders. This study explores the holistic experiences of five early-careeracademics (ECA) navigating internationalisation in higher education.Drawing on border and boundary crossing theories, alongside afeminist critical lens, we examine how personal, linguistic, andinstitutional transitions shape identities and professional trajectories.We employed a collaborative autoethnographic approach, reflecting onour experiences as international ECA. Data were generated throughstructured storytelling and collective dialogue across nine onlinesessions, fostering shared reflection and critical incident analysis. Acollaborative ‘Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats’(SWOT) framework guided the data analysis, leading to a multi-layeredinterpretative analysis of the tensions, insights, and negotiatedunderstandings emerging from our discussions. However, attempting toframe our experiences within the SWOT model revealed its limitationsand became a site of epistemic resistance, prompting reflection,emotion, and transformation. Thus, findings cover the original SWOT (utilising the SWOT framework) and a modified SWOT (troubling theSWOT framework). Our discussion highlights how the process ofinternationalisation, when viewed through feminist and boundary-crossing lenses, exposes the tensions and discomfort of navigating in-between academic, cultural, and personal spaces. In conclusion, weadvocate for a shift towards holistic internationalisation – a human-centred approach that recognises the personal dimensions of academicmobility and the importance of vulnerability, dialogue, and collectivelearning. Our practical conclusion for other ECAs who have taken aninternationalisation route is to strongly encourage them to connectwith each other through community, unpack experiences, support eachother, and, as a result, engage in identity development.
Details
- Title
- Internationalisation at home … but now what? Early career academics navigating borders, boundaries and ‘grietas’
- Creators
- Carmen Barquero-Ruiz - Universidad de MurciaDylan Scanlon - Deakin UniversityMarina Castro-García - University of LimerickFabiana Turelli - University of ManitobaCarla Valerio - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Sport, education and society, Vol.First online, pp.1-17
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis Group
- Number of pages
- 17
- Grant note
No funding was received.
- Identifiers
- 991013392652502368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article