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ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca 
 

 

 

Afterword 

Jon Woodend, Maisha M. Syeda 

University of Calgary 

Within academic circles, it is widely accepted that diverse perspectives contribute to a 

broad knowledge-base in the field, which results in innovative ways forward. The articles in 

this Special Issue are exemplary of this idea, as each casts light on previously shadowed areas 

of exploration. Importantly, each article is grounded in personal experience with a focus on 

supporting the community. This commitment and success in conducting such rewarding 

research is astonishing given the challenges newcomer scholars can face in academia, as noted 

by Lena, the lead editor for the Special Issue, in her introduction. We, Maisha and Jon, would 

like to thank the authors and Lena for their generosity in sharing their experiences and research 

in service of moving their respective conversations.  

This Special Issue highlights the unique research contributions and journeys of our 

authors, and each of the contributions easily compels us to note the importance of supporting 

these conversations, regardless of whether this is a research area of personal interest. 

Haggerty’s writing emphasized that the learning and teaching French as a foreign language 

with a group of students in Uganda expanded beyond the basics and complexities of linguistic 

training, and the integration of the learner’s and the teacher’s cultures and narratives was almost 

organic to the process. Lei’s work with internationally educated Chinese academic returnees 

highlighted the tensions between the academics’ preferences to grow as scholars through 

collaborations versus the government’s competing motivation to internationalize their 

knowledge-base and research institutes. Kojo Otoo, on the other hand, shared the challenges 

and successes of male, Ghanian newcomers seeking employment in Canada to formulate 

recommendations for immigration reform for skilled immigrants. Wang and Walsh wrote about 

the bereavement adjustments of elderly Chinese newcomers to highlight the importance of 

family and community supports to cope with spousal loss as well as to advocate for culturally 

safe and relevant services to support grieving. Finally, Kusari reflected about and argued for 

how in-between identities and realities of emerging newcomer scholars could enrich their 

contributions as transdisciplinary academics. Together, these contributions enrich our global 

academic knowledge and advance the respective fields forward in meaningful ways.  

 A high level take-away from this Special Issue echoes the message from Dr. Kawalilak 

in her forward to the Special Issue: In the wake of polarizing political and societal shifts that 

directly affect newcomer scholars, how can academia support them and their vital research? 

As editors, our hope is that this Special Issue illustrates one such example of honoring 

newcomer scholars’ journeys and expertise as researchers, and creating a meaningful platform 

to disseminate their voices within academic, while simultaneously creating avenues for them 

to gain critical publishing knowledge and experience. Thank you again to the authors for their 

contributions to this Special Issue, and we, the editors, are looking forward to their continuing 

contributions within their respective fields.  


