Doing science in times of turbulence: young academics in the conditions of international isolation

The article examines the career strategies of young scientists amid the international isolation and academic boycott of Russian science following geopolitical events. The study focuses on a leading Russian university previously integrated into global academia through international standards, networks, and partnerships. Based on 30 in-depth interviews with early-career researchers, it explores how isolation affects professional identity, well-being, and career prospects, including employment, advancement, research topics, publishing, conference participation, and international collaboration. Particular attention is paid to academic precarity, including short-term contracts, competition, and professional stress. The article analyzes how young researchers adapt to instability and restricted international mobility while seeking to preserve academic values and professional development. It distinguishes between resistance, understood as active efforts to maintain academic agency, and resilience, understood as the capacity to adapt to external constraints while continuing an academic career.