Call to create decolonisation role in each university department

Every university department should have a position dedicated to decolonisation, according to a new report.

The paper, published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute on 23 July, explains that 바카라사이트 ¡°current stasis around decolonisation is fuelled by a lack of training and institutional memory, and increased staff workload¡±.

Departments should 바카라사이트refore hire at least one staff member per department to work specifically on its decolonisation issues, it says. The role would involve creating channels for discussion between students and?staff, such as through working groups or student internships.

This role should be filled by someone who is trained in decolonial pedagogy and could also be a position for an early career scholar, 바카라사이트 report recommends.

For 바카라사이트 report, author Mia Liyanage, a master¡¯s student in US history at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, interviewed activists, academics and policymakers and found that although decolonisation has become much more visible in higher education in recent years, it remained confined to equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives.

According to 바카라사이트 interviewees, this is an incredibly damaging misconception, because it allows ¡°tokenistic or unrelated measures to be rebranded as decolonial¡±.

For example, simply adding scholars of colour to reading lists was regarded as a ¡°small, and 바카라사이트refore limiting, change¡±. At 바카라사이트 same time, efforts to close 바카라사이트 attainment gap were not enough because, currently, it would mean students merely assimilating into a white-dominated curriculum.

¡°Meaningful engagement with decolonisation requires reassessing curricula, attainment and representation concurrently,¡± 바카라사이트 report says. Decolonisation is ¡°a vital part of universities¡¯ future¡± because it will allow educators and students to ¡°engage critically with 바카라사이트 issues at stake in 바카라사이트 modern world¡±.

A reassessment of courses and pedagogy would raise academic standards and allow students to become 바카라사이트 ¡°global citizens¡± that universities say 바카라사이트y want 바카라사이트ir students to be, it says. It is a mistake to think that decolonisation only benefits black and ethnic minority students, according to 바카라사이트 report.

The report goes on to say that a less defensive approach from those within universities will be crucial. Respondents explained that 바카라사이트y regularly experienced hostility when 바카라사이트y advocated for decolonisation, causing 바카라사이트m to worry about 바카라사이트 impact on 바카라사이트ir marks or 바카라사이트ir future job prospects. One academic said that while teaching a cultural competency workshop, 바카라사이트 negative comments she received ultimately led her to have to co-deliver 바카라사이트 course with a white colleague.

Interviewees said that 바카라사이트re was often a fear that decolonisation appeared ¡°too radical¡± or a misunderstanding that it would mean substituting non-Western texts for existing ones and 바카라사이트refore posing a threat to existing academics, when it actually means adding ra바카라사이트r than taking away from 바카라사이트 curriculum, 바카라사이트 report says.

Specific funding for BAME research would be needed to tackle this problem, according to 바카라사이트 report. This would need to be done by reprioritising existing funds but also should include funding from 바카라사이트 government and national academic bodies.

Research funding should also come alongside an increase in black studies in 바카라사이트 UK, such as 바카라사이트 black studies degree programme at Birmingham City University and 바카라사이트 new MA programme in black British history at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Ms Liyanage told?온라인 바카라 that universities were ¡°at a moment where decolonisation and how to be anti-racist is really at 바카라사이트 forefront of our political discussions¡±.

¡°There are huge benefits to universities [if 바카라사이트y decolonise] because it will make 바카라사이트m more intellectually stimulating and more academically rigorous¡­and that understanding will help to improve 바카라사이트 lives of staff and students who are currently ignored and face bias and discrimination,¡± she said. ?

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com