What did you do during your sabbatical anyway?

Three days to go. I remember vividly how emotional I felt, my cold naked feet on the creaky floor of our Madrid apartment, staring at the laptop on the dining table, the window open. I could hear the rattle sounds of café solo plates and cups, little teaspoons stirring in the sugar (sweet is how Madrilenos prefer their coffee). The tree outside the window was now green and reflected the sunlight that could now reach our floor in summer. I am not ready to leave.

So goes my diary entry in the last week of sabbatical. Not really much of a daily journaling person I felt an urge to write more frequently during my recent sabbatical in Europe. All the new experiences, impressions, and observations obviously needed an outlet.

What is a sabbatical?

A sabbatical is a focused period of time for academics to dedicate to research, or so the general definition goes. Originally this was conceived as a “a time for renewal, reflection and rejuvenation”. Like a good student I started my sabbatical reviewing the literature on sabbaticals (for example Macfarlane, 2023). Labelled as ‘Special Studies Leave’ at my University, it still signals this time is for intellectual development. Critical voices taking the neoliberal perspective vouch that sabbaticals are to be used to write and publish, more and better.

Well, it did both for me.

When applying for Special Studies leave or sabbatical, the expectations are generally around:

How can you use this time to advance your research agenda, away from teaching and other academic work?

How can you contribute to the School or/and the University mission?

At the University of Sydney you are encouraged to travel and meet like-minded people. You also get a nominal predetermined amount to support your endeavours, but a note of caution: Don’t be fooled, this is not a paid holiday!

Making progress

I was able to progress work on two projects that I had proposed. My first project focused on better understanding of early career researcher skill development and PhD employability in Europe and Australia. I worked with collaborators in Germany and Portugal to submit a paper and develop two conference presentations. My paper on an earlier study in this area (Mantai & Marrone, 2023) was published when I was on sabbatical. I publicised it in social media and engaged in various interviews about the study while I was overseas, something I would have had no time for if I was in Sydney.

My second project was to learn about Assurance of Learning (AoL) practice in Business Schools in Europe and to connect with peers working in this space in the pursuit of learning and improving our practice. I also used this opportunity to recruit participants for my AoL research study, meet co-authors in person for the first time, progress our paper, and attend an AoL conference in Europe. In total I gave six research presentations and talks, including a keynote to the Doctoral School in Madrid. During this time I continued supervising my research students as needed, published a paper with my Honours student, supported my first PhD student to submission, and yes, I am sad to admit, kept an eye on my email to stay informed.

The unmeasurable

However, it is what I didn’t say I would do what I consider to be even more valuable.

Firstly, I have made beautiful new relationships and connections and met people and academics from all walks of life. No Zoom or online meeting replaces the potential of serendipity, chance encounters, and spontaneous connections with new people and ideas when you are on site.

Secondly, having uninterrupted and dedicated time away was generative and stimulating. I had time to rethink my research endeavours, the way I work, research and teach, as well as to reflect on my professional trajectory, and what’s next. While my savings suffered, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity and the experience. This might not be something the SSP program cares about, but the time to reflect and think slow paired with a change of scenery (literally or figuratively) was incredible restorative. The opportunity to make even more of it, as I did by taking my family to Europe with me for six months, is nothing short of a gift.

I came back to Sydney having submitted, or drafted for submission, four grant applications and a fellowship application. Importantly I came back inspired to break into a new research area.