How Does Academic Citizenship at Research‐Intense Universities Affect the Future of Teaching?

ABSTRACT The future of the teaching profession in academia is closely linked to the prevailing model of research‐intensive universities. It also depends on the ways in which institutions choose to navigate this ideal—either by promoting positions that combine teaching and research or by separating the two into distinct career paths. In this paper, we argue that teaching plays a central role in shaping experiences of academic citizenship, understood as membership, recognition, and belonging (Sümer et al. 2020). The paper is based on an empirical study involving 16 interviews with researchers and associate professors in permanent teaching‐related positions at a technological university in Sweden. Participants were asked about their work environment, career prospects, and views on teaching. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis, with particular focus on how teaching relates to inclusion and a sense of value in academic settings. The findings show variation in how teaching is perceived in relation to academic citizenship, especially its role in fostering or limiting a sense of belonging and recognition. We argue that these dynamics are likely to influence the future standing of teaching in academia. These insights are relevant not only for the academic community and higher education research but also for policymakers, given the central role of universities in society.