Exploring Greek-Cypriot female academics' experiences of precarity through a postcolonial lens : challenges, hopes and the reality of neoliberal universities in Europe

Abstract

This article brings research from the fields of ‘the globalisation of international education’ (Cantwell, 2011), ‘postcolonial knowledge relations’ (Beban & Trueman, 2018; Moller Madsen & Mahlck, 2018) and ‘intersectional and trans locational gender research’ (Yangson & Seung, 2021) together into a meaningful conversation to develop a postcolonial analysis of layers of precariousness in academic work in Cyprus. There is a global tendency for economic interests to gain importance over academic values in higher education, research, and postgraduate training (Olssen & Peters, 2007). The current article addresses a gap in the literature on the challenges female precarious workers in higher education and research institutions (HERIs) are facing in Europe, especially in tiny Mediterranean countries, such as Cyprus. This case study specifically intended to explore the enablers and the barriers that precarious Greek-Cypriot early-career academics had when working in universities in the UK as compared to Greek-Cypriot HERIs. Thus, it explored 22 female academics’ experiences of precarity who first worked in various universities in Cyprus and then moved to the United Kingdom to improve employment opportunities, using lengthy semi-structured interviews and opportunity and snowball sampling. The use of a postcolonial lens unravelled enablers and the challenges for these women. The study indicated that there are still underprivileged groups of young researchers, especially women, in the academy who suffer from isolation, unsustainable work-life balance or even gender-based violence, due to the neoliberal restructuring of the HERI sector in Europe. The study aims to promote Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in HERIs, challenge the increasingly hierarchical and inequitable structures of HERIs (Mavin & Yusupova, 2020) and contribute to our understanding of how HERIs in Europe can reverse the coloniality of power, nationalism and precariousness and better support young researchers in the academy.