Theorizing Academic Mobility

Abstract

This chapter reviews the literature on transnational academic mobility from economic, sociological, and anthropological perspectives. It challenges the economic and political approaches to mobility and theorizes academic mobility under social and cultural frameworks. It argues that the debates regarding brain drain, gain, or circulation are insufficient to capture the complexity and dynamics of transnational academic mobility. A more critical investigation is required to understand mobility as a way to negotiate identities, social connections, and various aspects of globalization.