1: Introduction

The two of us were brought together by a community. In 2019, we met for the first time in Kassel, Germany, where the network for early career higher education researchers (ECHER) was organising an Academic Writing Clinic for its members. One of us (Melina) was an organiser, and the other (Ai Tam) was a participant. This conference remains the only occasion where we have met in person. As one of us lives in the Netherlands and the other in Australia, it is not exactly easy to meet up for a coffee to discuss research (or anything else). Yet, because of ECHER, we have stayed in touch, exchanged emails and now, most recently, decided to co-edit a book on a topic of great importance to us: building communities in academia.