​​Exploring the everyday of 'voluntary exile' as a form of protest in higher education

• In Event: Changing Educations in Conflict and Peace: War, Violence, and Education Reform

Proposal

Close to one-fourth of the global population reside in nations that are grappling with conflict or severe criminal violence (World Bank, 2022). Recognising this, over time, the urge to tackle conflict through educational means has grown and eventually appeared as a separate field of study, ‘education in emergencies’ (Burde et al., 2017; Cardozo & Novelli, 2018). This field reveals the importance of HE in peacebuilding, recovery, and resistance in times of conflict and post-conflict periods (Millican, 2017; Milton, 2018; Pherali & Lewis, 2019). However, while ‘education in emergencies’ delves into HE in the conflict zone, the ‘relocated’ examples of higher education initiatives (HEI) have been overlooked in previous studies. Thus, their role in both conflict and post-conflict periods remains under-studied.
Venturing further into this domain, the relocation of entire institutions or the creation of new ones abroad (by former colleagues – ‘academic collectives’) due to the crisis or political oppression can be perceived as ‘collective exile’. Exploring this notion through personal and collective narratives, various cases underscore a tendency to cultivate what might be termed as 'diasporic or exiled consciousness' (Clifford, 1994). This consciousness embodies a ‘forward-thinking’ perspective and institutional organisation intent on an eventual return to a place of real or mythical origin. Consequently, HEI organises itself in relation to its roots, with a vision to contribute to regional recovery. This paper aims to unravel the nuances of this ‘forward-thinking’ consciousness, simultaneously tied to the homeland, and shed light on HEI’s potential role in shaping post-conflict horizons.
While exile is typically perceived as involuntary emigration, this study hones in on a specific ‘wave’ of emigration resulting from the Russian criminal invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Thousand of scholars, defined by their newly acquired identity of being exiled, have undergone ‘voluntary displacement’ (Balahonova, 2023). Their emigration serves as a profound political statement ‘against war’, deeply intertwined with the primary reason for their departure – the invasion (Kostenko et al., 2023). This overarching dynamic shapes and influences both the normative transnational environment of this new ‘wave’ and the educational realm of HEI in exile.
In an attempt to frame the notion, this paper conceptualises HEI as a social space, producing futures and hopes through daily praxis amidst conflict. It is theoretically grounded in temporal and spatial conjunction, particularly the interrelation of the future, present, and past (Adam, 2010; Adam & Groves, 2007), the interplay of future and hope through ‘Not-Yet’ (Bloch, 1995) and spatial trialectic (Lefebvre, 1991) that bind ideational with the material. By understanding the dynamics of spatial temporality, this research strives to decipher how ‘relocated’ HEI weaves futures and hopes through the tapestry of daily learning experiences, aspiring to act as a contributor to post-conflict recovery while being ‘voluntary exiled’ as a form of protest.
In order to do that, this empirical research delves into the subjective experiences and daily practices of the HEI faculty and students. Following one of the established cases in Budva, Montenegro, this paper will employ participatory interventions – reflexive diaries – interviews, and document analysis, to construct a holistic picture of conceived, perceived and lived realms of social space and its future-oriented aspirations.
In essence, this research aspires to enrich the nascent field of ‘higher education in emergencies’, foregrounding the instrumental role of HE in peacebuilding, recovery, and resistance during tumultuous periods of conflict and its aftermath.

Author

• Sofya (Sonya) Smyslova, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge