I’d like to share some thoughts on the future of academia. For context, this time last year I was ready to walk away from a career in academia after 11 years (including during PhD) of casual employment. Now I’m 8 months into a ‘permanent’ part time appointment.

Right now, the university sector is trying to eat itself. The current model was unsustainable before the pandemic, the pandemic has just sped up its demise. For the next 2-3 years (especially), academia is not going to be a nice place to be.

Some wisdom passed down to me: academic careers are a long game. Whatever is happening in the current moment won’t be what’s happening in 5, 10, 20 years. It’s very tempting to get caught up in the now, but it’s a trap.

There are *so many* pathways into academia. Yes, many of those pathways have been cut off or restricted over the past 10 years. Yes, it’s going to get worse in the short term future. Why? Because this current model is dying and fighting to stay relevant.

I don’t know what academia will look like in 5-10 years time, but it’s not going to look like our current model! For better or for worse. The point is, this too shall pass and with change comes new opportunities.

Right now is a scary time for people established in academia. That means it’s horrific for those trying to break in. Now may not be the right time to try and start a career in academia, but that doesn’t mean giving up on a future in academia.

What I learned from trying to break into academia for 5 years post PhD was that I wasted a lot of time and energy trying to conform to the flavour of the day. My energy would have been better spent just getting on with the stuff I actually care about.

We need to fight for a better system. One which doesn’t need exploitation to survive. We won’t get there by conforming to the whims of the system, especially in its current state.

The only reason I now have an ongoing position is because I raised a dispute through the union. I’d still be begging for crumbs if I kept playing by the rule book. The rule book stinks! We all know that, whether we push back against it or not.

The system is dying. The more we do to try and work within it, the more drawn out it’s death will be. Our energy would be better spent pushing for the change we want to see than desperately trying to keep the increasingly exploitative jobs we have.