Science In Exile: A Social-philosophicalanalysis Of The Transformationof The Scientist’s Role In Times Of Crisis

Abstract

This article explores how forced migration triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has affected the career trajectories of Ukrainian researchers and transformed academic mobility into a phenomenon of involuntary loss of the professional environment. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted in September 2023 with nine scholars who were compelled to leave Ukraine after 2022, the study analyzes the factors behind choosing a host country, experiences of integration into new academic institutions, barriers to full professional engagement, and strategies for maintaining continuity in research and sustaining ties with Ukrainian colleagues. The research offers a novel interdisciplinary perspective: through the lens of social philosophy, it examines not only adaptation processes but also the existential dimension of a scholar’s forced displacement. Particular attention is given to the dynamics of preserving professional identity and to the role of science as a moral obligation to society in times of instability. This approach aims to uncover deeper value shifts, identity transformations, and the interplay between personal experience and a broader sociocultural context. The article discusses challenges of adaptation within a new academic culture, where, despite receiving support, researchers often experience a gap between their personal and professional identities. It also highlights migration-induced risks, such as the fragmentation of the Ukrainian scientific community, loss of institutional memory, and potential reorientation of research interests due to the changed environment. In a philosophical context, relocation is proposed to be understood as a profound transformation not only of professional status but also of scientific identity. Exile is conceptualized not merely as physical displacement, but as a complex ethical and social dilemma that challenges the traditional notion of science as a continuous service to the common good. The article argues for the urgent need to develop support mechanisms that would not only preserve the scientific potential but also enable the possible reintegration of displaced scholars into Ukraine’s academic environment.