Skip to main content
Log in

Migrant academics’ career capital experiences in Australian universities: a qualitative study

  • Published:
Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Migrant academics’ teaching, research and leadership knowledge and skills are essential and valued in their host higher education institutions, globally. However, there is limited evidence on understanding migrant academics’ career capital experiences in Australian universities. Drawing on a career capital framework, this qualitative study explores the experiences of 26 international academics at Australian universities. Based on interview findings, migrant academics have developed capitals in terms of knowing-why, motivation to migrate and seek employment at Australian universities, knowing-how, utilising accumulated human capital in teaching and research activities, and knowing-whom, developing and relying on social connections to have a positive impact on teaching and research work. The findings contribute to the literature because career development experience of migrant academics in Australia is an underexplored phenomenon, underpinned by career capital theory. The implications of these findings for international academics and higher education institutions are also discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declares no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Singh, J.K.N. Migrant academics’ career capital experiences in Australian universities: a qualitative study. High Educ (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01152-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01152-3

Keywords

Navigation