The marginalised few: reflections from the lived experiences of forced displaced academics in Turkish academia

During the last decade, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of Syrian asylum seekers, including forced displaced academics (FDAs), in Turkey. Along with providing essentials, there is the issue of social integration for these people. To efficiently deal with this problem, Turkish authorities have developed both educational policies and some legal arrangements to accommodate the employment process for FDAs. This study aims to investigate Turkey's higher education policy for FDAs by examining the lived experiences of these academics based on political, social, and cultural dynamics. The findings illustrate major themes surrounding the academic identity of FDAs and what distinguishes them from other international academics, as well as their experiences in the Turkish higher education system, and the challenges they have faced. The study provides important implications for the purpose of generating effective policies and practices regarding the successful integration of FDAs into the higher education system both in Turkey and worldwide.