Identity issues: expatriate professors teaching and researching in Qatar

Abstract

Today, academics are more transient, working outside their home countries, than at any other time in the history of academics especially in the Arab World were there is great demand for faculty members educated in Western’ culture and academia. However, many of these professors face considerable social, professional and academic challenges in teaching and research. This paper presents the voices of twenty expatriate professors (EPs) as they describe their experiences and conflicts they face teaching in GCC universities and how this impacts their identities as professors. Various identities and strategies that EPs use in their daily work and lives are described and discussed.