Amid accelerating technological developments, ideological tensions, and global crises such as climate and demographic change, educational research is increasingly marked by epistemic uncertainty—where the boundaries of knowledge, methodologies, and legitimacy are continually shifting (Biesta, 2010; Murris, 2022). This uncertainty is particularly evident in the experiences of international PhD students in Germany, whose doctoral work takes place within an expanding and internationalised higher education system. Their research trajectories are shaped by disciplinary traditions as well as by institutional ambiguities, supervisory arrangements, and the broader transformation of doctoral education. In this study, qualitative data including in-depth interviews and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), reveal the strategies doctoral researchers employ to claim epistemic agency despite institutional constraints. Key findings indicate that mentorship, interdisciplinary exposure, and research autonomy are crucial factors in fostering agency, while institutional barriers—such as rigid disciplinary boundaries, bureaucratic obstacles, and unequal access to academic networks—can hinder students’ ability to fully assert themselves as knowledge producers. The findings show that doctoral students undergo identity reconstruction, balancing prior educational norms with Germany’s independent research culture (Boutiuc-Kaiser et al., 2025). Initial uncertainty related to institutional adjustment, language barriers, and unclear supervision echoes earlier research (Wu, 2017; Schneijderberg & Teichler, 2018). Over time, students develop coping strategies, build peer networks, and adapt their study habits, gaining broader academic perspectives and increased agency (Bilecen, 2013). As educational research seeks to address the uncertainties of the future, this study contributes to ongoing discussions about the inclusivity of higher education, the impact of mobility on academic careers, and the structural dynamics that shape educational trajectories. These insights contribute to transdisciplinary debates on inclusive and globally connected higher education, while critically examining how the inflation of academic titles further accentuates epistemic uncertainty.

Biesta, G. (2010). Good Education in an Age of Measurement: Ethics, Politics, Democracy. Routledge. Bilecen, B. (2013). International doctoral students as knowledge brokers: Reciprocity, trust and solidarity in transnational networks. Discussed in research on PhD adjustment and identity reconstruction. Boutiuc-Kaiser, A., & Symeonidis, V. (2025). Internationalising doctoral education: International PhD students’ experiences of academic mobility in Germany. Academia, 0(38), 25-48. doi: https://doi.org/10.26220/aca.5074 Murris, K. (2022). Navigating Epistemic Uncertainty in Educational Research: A Posthuman Perspective. Routledge. Schneijderberg, C. & Teichler, U. (2018). Doctoral education, supervision practices, and socialisation processes Wu, R., Pan, X., Huang, X., & Zhai, Y. (2025). The impact of international academic mobility on doctoral students’ research collaboration and publication output.