ABSTRACT
Professional identities in academia are (arguably) becoming more diverse. Yet the institutions and structures of higher education are yet to bend and move to fully embrace the diversity that is on offer. Therefore, an expansion of what professional identity looks like and can mean requires consideration. This chapter delves into an autoethnographic unpacking of navigating identity between different cultural contexts, education systems, and professional settings. The movement within and between the boundaries of academic spaces and places is explored, and the following question is investigated: Who can belong within such spaces and under or on what terms? Through an autoethnographic exploration of the boundaries of academia, this article investigates notions of belonging and difference. Through such work there is the potentials to provoke new pathways and consideration for academics and the institutions and structures of higher education to be reimagined.
