iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

🙏 I’m deeply grateful to everyone who supported me throughout this project: the students I interviewed, the Belarusian activists I met, my supervisor, and colleagues within the SAR Italy network and the ESU community. Thank you!

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

💡 Like any scientific work, defining student academic freedom is a complex and evolving process—but, luckily, a shared one. If you have personal experiences, thoughts, or even contrasting ideas, please reach out! I’d love to see this article as an open space for continued conversation. 5/

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

👉 I conclude by proposing a 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭-𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦, grounded in two core elements: the individual dimension of capability development and the collective dimension of membership to the academic community. 4/

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

🔎 The article argues that students' experiences—and violations—of academic freedom in Belarus can be understood through four interrelated dimensions: 𝑃𝑟𝑒-𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑦; 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑦; 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑; 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑦. 3/

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

📌 Here, I explore the experiences of academic freedom among a group of Belarusian students prior to the 2020 Presidential Election. 2/

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

…𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭! 🎊 So happy to share that my article "Narratives of restricted academic freedom" has just been published in 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠. You can access it here (Open Access): doi.org/10.1080/1364... 1/

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

5/5 My deepest gratitude to the participants who shared their stories, their bravery, and their pain with me. It is an honor to amplify their voices in this work. 📖 Read the full article here: doi.org/10.1093/jrs/...

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

4/5 More research is needed to understand what universities can do to support displaced students worldwide. Their role is more complex—and more crucial—than often assumed.

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

3/5 From this case study, my article explores universities as double-edged institutions in displacement: 🏛️ They can act as coercers, enforcing repression. 🏛️ But also as stabilizers, offering refuge. This impacts both the processual and identitarian dimensions of displacement.

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

2/5 Honest University documented: 🔹 289 expulsions 🔹 58 recognized political prisoners 🔹 485 reprimands 🔹 914 cases of ‘prophylactic conversations’ Many of my participants faced these academic violations firsthand.

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

1/5 I conducted interviews with Belarusian students in 2021-22—one year after the 2020 elections, which saw one of the most brutal crackdowns on political rights in Belarusian history.

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Cristina Mazzero @mazzerocri.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

🚨 Excited to share my first article (Open Access) in the Journal of Refugee Studies on the role of universities in Belarusian student displacement. Yet, it’s a bittersweet joy, as many Belarusians remain in prison or exile. More below 👇 doi.org/10.1093/jrs/...

doi.org

Higher education in displacement: empowering pathway or double-edged institution? Insights from Belarusian students’ experiences

Abstract. Bridging forced migration and higher education (HE) studies, this study explores how HE affects the process of displacement (processual dimension

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Reposted by Cristina Mazzero

Irene Michelin @irenemichelin.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

It was great ✨✨✨

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Reposted by Cristina Mazzero

Anna Caprinali @annacaprinali.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

The 6th Joint Doctoral Conference has come to an end! 🎉 It was amazing to meet PhD students from all over Europe 🌍 and see this event finally come to life after months of organizing. Big thanks to my fantastic colleagues [@mazzerocri.bsky.social, @irenemichelin.bsky.social, Lorenzo Bernabei ]! 🧡

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