Internacionalización, amor relacional y crítica decolonial: dialogando para la transformación de la academia y la educación física

Objective: To explore potential answers to the question: “Could relational love serve as the foundation for academic internationalisation?” Methodology: A collaborative self-study was conducted. Data generated since March 2022, including emails, reflective journals, field notes, virtual meetings, narratives, and autobiographical notes, were analysed using narrative analysis and reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: Three main themes were generated: “Community of life, community of care,” “Learning: moving mind, body, spirit, and heart,” and “Generating meaningful knowledge(s).” Each theme is presented and discussed to examine how relational love might be the basis for academic internationalisation. Conclusions: The study concludes that other ways of living, understanding, and shaping academia can become rewarding, beneficial, and necessary educational processes—particularly in physical education—when viewed through the lenses of social justice, the decolonisation of knowledge, and institutional democracy.