Decolonising the heart and mind of the 21st century university

Abstract

This seminar seeks to [re]imagine the 21^st century university as a public institution committed to decolonising the hearts and minds of academics, students and the wider society. This presentation presents a case for decolonial, transcultural, and multilingual universities driven by epistemic and social justice (Walker, 2020; McArthur, 2018). To work towards these transformations, higher education requires new philosophical and practical resources to address the colonisation’s lingering legacies. These philosophies, theories and practices already reside within the world’s diverse knowledge systems but, at present, we continue to rely mostly on Northern science as the dominant form of knowledge. Drawing upon the deconstructive possibilities presented by postcolonial/decolonial and Indigenous theories (Chakrabarty, 2007; Mignolo, 2007; Williams et al., 2018), this presentation is a work-in-progress theoretical piece being developed into a book on knowledge justice in higher education. While many sectors and groups construct new knowledge, the university has a unique societal position in generating knowledge that is not only for commercial gain, immediate problem solving or serving the needs of a privileged few. The university has a central role in the production of imaginative, future-gazing, prefigurative and critical knowledge; cultural regeneration and renewal; and the formation of democratic and critical citizens (Rider, 2018).

Places are limited and so any academic colleagues or students interested in attending in person must register here for a place. 

More information about Professor Catherine Managthunga