Scientific Identity in a Second Language: Challenges of Academic Migration for Early Career Researchers

Early career researchers are increasingly mobile, often conducting their scientific training and research in countries where neither the language nor the academic culture are their own. While scientific mobility is widely encouraged, its implications for scientific identity, confidence and participation are rarely discussed. This contribution offers an early career perspective on the challenges of doing science in a second language within the context of academic migration.

Drawing from personal experience in hydrology and climate research, this presentation reflects on how working in a non-native language extends beyond communication difficulties and shapes the way early career researchers think, write, code, and engage in scientific discussions. Limited linguistic fluency can amplify impostor syndrome, restrict spontaneous participation, and temporarily reduce perceived scientific competence, particularly in highly competitive academic environments. At the same time, navigating science across languages and cultures can foster adaptability, conceptual clarity, and a deeper understanding of one’s own research.

The experience of academic migration often entails a parallel loss and reconstruction of scientific identity; expertise developed in one context may feel diminished in another, leading early career researchers to re-evaluate their knowledge, methodologies, and role within the scientific community. This presentation highlights how such transitions, while challenging, can ultimately strengthen critical thinking and interdisciplinary awareness when adequately supported.

By sharing these reflections, this contribution aims to normalise experiences that are often internalised and invisible, and to highlight language and migration as structural dimensions of diversity in science. Practical suggestions are proposed to foster more inclusive research environments, including changes in mentoring practices, meeting dynamics, and expectations around scientific communication. Acknowledging the human dimensions of scientific mobility is essential not only for researcher well-being, but also for the quality, creativity and inclusivity of scientific knowledge production.