Bridging academia and industry: supporting creative pracademic career sustainability in higher education

This study explores the complex realities of creative pracademics – individuals occupying both academic and industry roles – within UK higher education. Drawing on nine interviews across five universities and disciplines, including film, drama, English, art and media, thematic analysis and the Systems Theory Framework reveal the career influences and sustainability challenges they face. Positioned in a liminal space, pracademics play a vital role in bridging theory and practice, yet structural support remains limited. Findings underscore the need for institutional recognition of hybrid careers, sustainable workload models, and alignment between academic and industry values. Without targeted interventions, universities risk losing pracademics, weakening employability outcomes and disciplinary vitality and sustainability. This research advances the sustainable careers discourse by situating pracademics within a broader ecosystem, offering insights into how higher education can better support creative, non-linear career paths, impacting both staff and students.