Conference Agenda

What does it take to be a 21^st century academic? Universities once founded as institutions grounded in ideals of deep reflection, intellectual freedom, and scholarly contemplation now face a very different reality (Barnett, 2011). Recent studies consistently highlight growing concerns about the conditions under which academics work today (Kramer & Van Der Kolk, 2026). In an increasingly competitive and marketized academic landscape, characterized by heightened pressure to secure funding, produce high-impact research, deliver quality teaching, and demonstrate societal relevance, the expectations placed on academics continue to expand. Alongside these rising expectations, reports of burnout, disengagement, and declining educational quality signal that many academics struggle to meet the current demands (Kramer & Van Der Kolk, 2026). At the same time, the value and credibility of scientific knowledge are increasingly being questioned in society, with declining public trust and widespread misinformation challenging its authority (van der Meer & Hameleers, 2026). Meanwhile, within this already highly complex institutional context, contemporary universities across the globe increasingly articulate contributing to complex societal challenges through ‘engagement’ as one of their core missions (Sachs & Clark, 2017), further reshaping what is expected of academics today (Bjarnadóttir et al., 2024).

Rather than positioning academics as passive recipients of these growing institutional and societal pressures and expectations, this project foregrounds their voices by recognizing them as active actors who shape what ‘engagement’ means in their daily practice, and in how they understand their changing roles and responsibilities. Academics can potentially strengthen the societal relevance of their work through community engaged education by integrating real-world projects into curricula, partnering with local organizations, and co-creating knowledge with communities. Such approaches support public interests, fosters civic responsibility, and help ensure research is relevant, inclusive, and responsive to societal challenges and long-term impact. Therefore, in this interactive workshop, we invite participants to pause, reflect, and collectively explore how academic roles are evolving in an era of growing societal expectations. Bringing together academics from diverse disciplines, positions, and contexts, we will discuss the tensions, opportunities, and emerging possibilities that define academic life today, in research, education and engagement, and what the role of community engaged education can be in all of this. Through guided reflection and creative, playful exercises, we will (re)imagine what it might take to build sustainable and fulfilling academic careers as 21^st century academics, and consider the kind of academic profession we want to collectively shape for the future.