Conceptualizing Homo Sensus Academicus Mobilis: Towards a paradigm shift in understanding contemporary global academic mobility

Abstract

Academic mobility is a historical practice that has morphed into a Westernized emblem of our times in the mixture of post-modernity and neoliberal capitalism. Higher education institutions, now bastions of internationalization, have seen exponential growth in academic mobility beyond national and regional limits. This paper challenges and examines the prevalent theoretical views on the subject through a semi-structured literature review and a critical comparative theoretical analysis of current paradigms of academic mobility. It argues their reductionist approaches, which largely disregard academic mobility's emotional, cultural, socio-economic, and neoliberal aspects. As a response, this paper proposes Homo Sensus Academicus Mobilis, a novel tripartite conceptual assemblage of Homo Academicus, Academic Capitalism, and Emotions on the Move. This experimental framework situates the participants of academic mobility at its core, mapping main elements that shape their lived experience of academic mobility, from micro to macro level. Homo Sensus Academicus Mobilis's contribution lies in broadening the interdisciplinary vista, embracing a cosmopolitan perspective, and acknowledging emotional work in academic structures and power hierarchies.