Across cultures and geographies, effective communication drives progress in business and elsewhere. Yet, in academia, little attention seems to be paid to the issue — despite the well-documented biases and inequities experienced by scholars from marginalized communities and lower-income countries (see, for example, Nature 608, 437–439; 2022).

As people with experience as migrants in academia and other spheres, we have found communication across cultures and between people with different first languages to be particularly challenging in the academic world. This is especially relevant for the challenging yet crucial relationship between research students and their supervisors. Misunderstandings can create friction that could lead not just to dissatisfaction but, more seriously, to impacts on mental health (see Nature 617, 666–668; 2023).

We urge universities and research institutions to address intercultural communication as an important part of equality, diversity and inclusion efforts. Workshops and training to increase appreciation of factors that affect communication —such as upbringing and culture — should be made available to all academics. Opening people’s eyes to these factors will allow academic research and collaborations to flourish.

COMPETING INTERESTS

The authors declare no competing interests.