Between worlds, beyond boundaries: Understanding pracademic contributions to social change

This article introduces a special issue examining pracademics in development studies – professionals who bridge academic and practical domains, but whose unique role has been under-explored in the literature. Drawing on 12 contributions spanning multiple geographical contexts and methodological approaches, it analyses how pracademics navigate complex institutional landscapes, build hybrid professional identities, and create social impact. The articles reveal both common challenges and context-specific opportunities in pracademic work, while highlighting innovative approaches to knowledge production and social change. Together, they demonstrate that successful pracademic engagement requires sophisticated navigation of multiple institutional, cultural, and political contexts. This collection advances our understanding of how pracademics can enhance both scholarly research and development practice. The article concludes by proposing future directions for pracademic research, emphasising the need for institutional support, methodological diversity, intersectional identities, collaborative work, and sustainable scaling, with a particular focus on Global South contexts and perspectives.