The academic landscape consistently emphasizes the importance of mobility. Researchers, particularly those in the early stage of their careers, undergo increasing pressures as international mobility becomes a key requirement for securing academic positions. Academic mobility fosters global collaboration, enriches research perspectives, and increases the productivity of the individual and the research group, thereby accelerating innovation, but it comes with a myriad of challenges; particularly for academics in relationships (whether with other academics or partners pursuing different career paths), third-country nationals, and individuals facing social inequalities in the access to opportunities and resources.

Focusing on Europe, the EU has introduced policies to encourage and increase cross-border mobility in the European Research Area context. However, the EU's free movement policy still has gaps which can present obstacles.

Do the opportunities provided by academic mobility outweigh the challenges associated with it? How can the EU and academic institutions address the paradox of promoting academic mobility while also catering to the diverse needs and challenges faced by the modern academic, especially in light of relationship and nationality constraints? What are the challenges faced by displaced scientists and what can the scientific community do to address these challenges? In this great debate, we ask these questions and consider the perspective of different nationals, policies around researcher mobility in the EU, present and proposed institutional frameworks for inequalities we see in academic mobility and gendered implications.