Edge Hill University
“Can you really love your neighbour?” A Theoretical exploration of the silenced concept of ‘academic love’ in Higher Education institutions
In a landscape increasingly dominated by neoliberal ideologies, where productivity, individual achievement, and institutional rankings often take precedence, compassion and empathy are at risk of being side lined (Hokka, 2023). These pressures privilege successful research bids and publications in high-impact journals over research that prioritises societal impact (Ball, 2015). In response to this, I explore how ‘academic love’ can inspire change and equip academics to resist market-driven values and re-centre human connection in Higher Education (HE) (Caddell & Wilder, 2018). Building on Blanco-Bayo’s (2022) concept of cariño -spontaneous, reciprocal affection rooted in love- I argue that ‘academic love’ is necessary and can transform the current culture in HE.
I redefine ‘academic love’ as a deep level of compassion between academics, grounded in love and affection. This concept counterbalances the competitive nature of neoliberal academic spaces (Waddington, 2018) and reiterates that compassion strengthens collegial relationships and promotes relational academic communities (Andrew et al., 2023).
Rather than prioritising productivity, ‘academic love’ forms the foundation of academic culture (Aguado-López, Becerril-García & Godínez-Larios, 2018) and nurtures collective well-being and promotes, equity, collaboration and justice in academic work. Ultimately, this definition can help rethink academic values based on love and demonstrations of solidarity towards each other, and in the process, reshape the future of research and teaching in HE.