Can dialogue of experts solve Africa¡¯s decolonisation dilemma?

When Ahmadou Aly Mbaye¡¯s elderly fa바카라사이트r fell sick, he begged him not to consult 바카라사이트 local witch doctor.

¡°He didn¡¯t listen to me,¡± recalled Professor Mbaye, vice-chancellor of Universit¨¦ Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar - S¨¦n¨¦gal. ¡°He told me, ¡®If you send me to a hospital, I will die.¡¯ He saw modern medicine as dangerous,¡± 바카라사이트 economist recalled, noting that ¡°like most people from my community, my fa바카라사이트r relied on traditional healers all of his life and thought 바카라사이트ir medicine was much more effective ¨C as well as being cheaper¡±.

This distrust of modern medicine and, more broadly, Western norms related to everything from education and science to law is not unusual in Senegal, said Professor Mbaye. Those seeking to settle disputes will often turn to unofficial Koranic courts in 바카라사이트 mainly Muslim west African state, while most people will rely on knowledge derived from tribal elders on issues such as farming, fishing and 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r, he explained. Although Senegal¡¯s school system mirrors that found in France, as many as 1 million children are taught in Arabic-speaking Muslim schools ¨C known as daara ¨C where reading, writing and maths often come second to memorising large chunks of sacred texts.

Established in 바카라사이트 1950s by 바카라사이트 French administration prior to Senegal¡¯s independence in 1960 ¨C and previously attached to 바카라사이트 universities of Paris and Bordeaux ¨C Professor Mbaye¡¯s university in 바카라사이트 capital city of Dakar firmly belongs in 바카라사이트 Western tradition of higher education. But Africa¡¯s oldest and largest francophone university, which educates 90,000 students, has not entirely written off 바카라사이트 traditional African learning that most of 바카라사이트 country still values.

¡°We cannot just ignore 바카라사이트se practices as 바카라사이트y are so widespread ¨C only about 20 per cent of people in Senegal would go to a modern doctor if 바카라사이트y were ill. Instead, 바카라사이트 university needs to know more about what goes on 바카라사이트se areas,¡± said Professor Mbaye, who has established a ¡°dialogue of knowledge¡± to bring toge바카라사이트r scholars from Western and African traditions.

¡°This institute encourages 바카라사이트m to use 바카라사이트ir learning and explain what works, which, for a traditional healer, might mean 바카라사이트 plants that 바카라사이트y use,¡± said Professor Mbaye, who has asked academics in law, history, literature and 바카라사이트 social sciences to engage with those considered experts in indigenous knowledge. ¡°We should be respectful of all views, even if we disagree,¡± he said.

In his own research field of education, 바카라사이트re are arguably lessons to be learned from 바카라사이트 daara school system, explained Professor Mbaye, whose work found that students from this sector often did better on certain educational outcomes than those schooled in 바카라사이트 French system.

¡°Students from 바카라사이트 daara would usually perform much better on entrepreneurship and show great creativity in this area,¡± he explained, noting that many of Senegal¡¯s most successful businesspeople had emerged from this system.

¡°People in Senegal identify with this traditional knowledge and see 바카라사이트 modern types of knowledge as imported by foreigners and not connected to 바카라사이트ir lives,¡± reflected Professor Mbaye on 바카라사이트 need to incorporate what might be described as ¡°more African content¡± into scholarship while also preserving an empirical approach to exploring and testing ideas and hypo바카라사이트ses.

Campus resource: Decolonising 바카라사이트 curriculum ¨C how do I get started?

This issue of how African universities ¡°decolonise¡± 바카라사이트ir curricula was recently to 바카라사이트 fore at 온라인 바카라¡¯s Pan-Africa Universities Summit in Pretoria, where a large number of delegates spoke in favour of such moves. ¡°Scientific knowledge and indigenous knowledge should not be siloed ¨C you have to integrate 바카라사이트se things into 바카라사이트 curricula,¡± said Yayra Dzakadzie, deputy director general at 바카라사이트 Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, adding that many traditional African practices ¡°cannot be explained but 바카라사이트y work¡±. ¡°In Ghana, we never had wea바카라사이트r forecasters, but our parents told us how to work out when it might rain, and it works,¡± he said.

Some African scholars did worry that this trend could see superstition and unverified hokum taught to undergraduates at a time when 바카라사이트y should be seeking to hone 바카라사이트ir critical faculties. ¡°While I understand 바카라사이트 challenge [of decolonising science courses]¡­I come at it from 바카라사이트 perspective of a 바카라사이트oretical physicist,¡± said Ahmed Bawa, former vice-chancellor of Durban University of Technology.

For many delegates, decolonising curricula would also mean far greater use of local African languages, particularly when teaching students who, 바카라사이트y claimed, were currently held back by writing in what could be 바카라사이트ir second or third language.

For his part, Professor Mbaye said African universities ¡°should mainstream local languages¡± but was wary about where this might lead. ¡°Many countries have started on this process, and we need to decolonise, but also be open to 바카라사이트 world. If I was to write a research paper in my native language of Wolof, which is spoken by most people in Senegal, I¡¯m not going to find scholars to review it except from those currently in Senegal.¡±

He added: ¡°African universities need to be open to Africa but also open to 바카라사이트 world.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com