Performing Academia : Building a Successful University Career

Using an autoethnographic approach, this book offers practical strategies that help scholars perform their roles as academics. With academic formation at its foundational core, the book presents practical strategies aimed at facilitating academic performance, particularly in the areas of research-informed teaching, interdisciplinarity and collaboration, community engagement and the development of an international academic profile.The view on academia that emerges from the book is a holistic and integrated one, with teaching often adopted as the locus where pedagogy connects with research and outreach.Performing Academia treats the various facets of academic performance not in isolation, but as elements that support and enable each other.While the case studies presented are rooted in theatre and performance, with a focus on modern theatre given the author’s publication background, the emerging concerns are relevant to a much broader audience engaged in higher education. The book begins as a reflection on the author’s own university career, primarily revolving around 15 years of experience at the University of Malta and consistent engagement with research methodologies, reflective teaching, networking, internationalization and the duties associated with admin and senior management roles.Building on these reflections, the book supports early career researchers and academics in the initial stages of their career who might be seeking guidance to navigate, or perform, their roles in academia.Its narratives are also of interest to more seasoned academics looking to revitalize some aspect of their work.