Call for Papers “International Solidarity in Higher Education in Response to New and Shifting Political Pressures”

Deadline: April 7, 2026

Internationalisation of Higher Education: Policy and Practice invites papers for a special issue on International Solidarity in Higher Education in Response to New and Shifting Political Pressures.

Solidarity is an important value with a long history in higher education. At the same time, it is also severely understudied. It manifests in different forms, including, at times, as international solidarity (Marginson 2017, Carbone 2025). In recent years, political and geopolitical developments have placed restrictions on traditional activities carried out in the name of international solidarity. These new, unexpected, and, in some cases, unprecedented developments have created pressure for both more research in the area and for imagining new forms of solidarity.

The special issue invites articles to document such developments and the answers to them, with a view to drawing useful lessons for practitioners in the field. We propose to consider papers that talk about, and to, all relevant internal university constituencies (students, academic staff, administrative staff, university leadership, higher education researchers) as well as external stakeholders (governments, NGOs, international organisations, funders/donors, etc.).

New developments that had on impact on international solidarity in higher education  include different devastating attacks on higher education institutions and members of university communities in countries such Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Ukraine as well as in Gaza; the unprecedented attacks against academic freedom in the US; changes in political attitudes, legislation, and operational approaches to the cooperation with China; as well as numerous migration phenomena of various origins in various parts of the world that are also relevant in this context. This list is by no means exhaustive.

Forms of international solidarity usually considered include:

  • Support for those in situations of conflict or crisis
  • International academic and research partnerships
  • Direct support for displaced individuals — academics or students
  • Collective action and advocacy

Do these forms work well? Do they persist in the new circumstances of our time? In what ways? Are there new forms and experiences of international solidarity in higher education that can be documented?

Traditionally, barriers to international solidarity in higher education have been identified as:

  • Lack of institutional and structural support
  • Political and social pressures
  • Selectivity of support
  • Decolonial and epistemic challenges

Do these barriers persist? Are there new barriers? Are there good experiences of initiatives aiming to overcome both old and new barriers?

Please find a list of relevant readings and studies below. Authors may draw on this list as a starting point for their own research—including research that reflects on their own experiences and work in this area—or develop their own individual approaches.

Ariemma L, Bailliet C, Torres-Salas N. International Solidarity as a Human Right, Shared Goal, and Community Action. AJIL Unbound. 2025;119:30-35. doi:10.1017/aju.2025.2

Bieliauskaitė J. Solidarity in Academia and its Relationship to Academic Integrity. J Acad Ethics. 2021;19(3):309-322. doi: 10.1007/s10805-021-09420-6. Epub 2021 May 31. PMID: 34093099; PMCID: PMC8165131.

Carbone, F. Academics on the frontline. To what extent does global solidarity pervade the academic world? The case of ACADEMICS4GAZA. High Educ (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01431-1

Junina. A.K.  International solidarity must go beyond merely statements. University World News. 23 August 2025. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250804174533304

Greenfield. N.M . HE leaders brand Trump’s compact for HE as ‘extortion’. University World News.08 October 2025 https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20251008203330130

Heleta, S. (2025). Higher education in conflict settings: realities, challenges and possibilities of international solidarity and support: PEER Network symposium keynote address 20231. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2025.2499602

Liu, W., Yan, T., Li, Y., & Lv, W. (2024). International higher education as knowledge diplomacy: The role of Chinese universities in China’s belt and road initiative. Industry and Higher Education, 39(2), 187-197. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222241271659 (Original work published 2025)

Marginson. S. (2017). Global higher education, social solidarity, and the new nationalism. https://www.researchcghe.org/blogs/2017-08-15-global-higher-education-social-solidarity-and-the-new-nationalism/

 

Journal Description & Scope
Designed for internationalisation professionals, policymakers, and higher education leaders, Internationalisation of Higher Education – Policy and Practice examines internationalisation policies, processes, and activities, addressing key issues in the internationalisation of higher education and placing them in the context of global developments. The peer-reviewed journal focuses on how international, regional, national, and institutional policy changes, trends, and initiatives impact practice.
Emphasis on Practice
Oriented towards practitioners, the journal aims to fill the space between practice and research in the fields of internationalisation and HE. There is a special focus on the synthesis of academic research results for a practitioner-based audience. In addition, practitioners frequently make contributions to the journal as a means of sharing their experiences in the field and contributing to the development of best practices and the flow of information.
Invitation to New Authors
If you are a practitioner or researcher in the field of Higher Education, a new or previously published author, we encourage you to submit a manuscript to our journal. We accept new contributions on a variety of topics throughout the year. We also encourage contributions on specific topics. Please see below to find an open call for manuscripts on the topic of “migration and international students.”
For more information on submission guidelines, please click here.