In this episode, Alina Dragolea, Associate Professor at the National University of Political Science and Public Administration in Bucharest, discusses the complex dynamics of "academia at risk" in both high- and low-ranked universities. She challenges Western-centric views on academic migration and explores how diverse institutional and national contexts shape the experiences and support strategies for at-risk scholars. Alina calls for a more nuanced approach that considers the unique challenges of European peripheries and moves beyond one-size-fits-all policies.
Rethinking Academia at Risk: Insights from Europe’s Peripheries
Jun 11, 2025

Protecting academia at risk: Towards a new policy agenda for a thriving culture of higher education in Europe
Protecting Academia at Risk is a podcast exploring what it means to be an academic today amid war, repression, forced migration, and institutional fragility. We speak about risk, on the fragility and ambiguity of academic freedom, and building new forms of solidarity in times of crisis.
Supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, this series emerges from a transnational research project led by Andrea Pető (CEU), Dina Gusejnova (LSE), Alina Dragolea (SNSPA), and Bernhard Kleeberg (University of Erfurt), Nadiya Kiss (University of Erfurt), Tania Arcimovich (University of Erfurt), and Elena Trifan (University of Erfurt).
Join us as we examine:
Who gets to speak in academia?
How political violence shapes research agendas
What academic freedom looks like on the ground
Why some scholars remain invisible, even in exile
This is a space for critical reflection on power, knowledge, and resistance in the university today.
Subscribe to follow the voices shaping the future of academic life under pressure.
Protecting Academia at Risk is a podcast exploring what it means to be an academic today amid war, repression, forced migration, and institutional fragility. We speak about risk, on the fragility and ambiguity of academic freedom, and building new forms of solidarity in times of crisis.
Supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, this series emerges from a transnational research project led by Andrea Pető (CEU), Dina Gusejnova (LSE), Alina Dragolea (SNSPA), and Bernhard Kleeberg (University of Erfurt), Nadiya Kiss (University of Erfurt), Tania Arcimovich (University of Erfurt), and Elena Trifan (University of Erfurt).
Join us as we examine:
Who gets to speak in academia?
How political violence shapes research agendas
What academic freedom looks like on the ground
Why some scholars remain invisible, even in exile
This is a space for critical reflection on power, knowledge, and resistance in the university today.
Subscribe to follow the voices shaping the future of academic life under pressure.Listen on
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