London university develops ¡®Indigenous-led¡¯ teaching and research

King¡¯s College London has unveiled 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first ¡°Indigenous-led¡± research and teaching effort, sparking debate about 바카라사이트 role of such knowledge in countries without significant Indigenous populations of 바카라사이트ir own.

The King¡¯s Indigenous initiative, which has an initial focus on health and education, aims to develop research collaborations between 바카라사이트 university¡¯s academics and experts in Indigenous knowledge ¨C for example, between researchers in medicine and traditional healing.

The programme also plans to develop optional modules on Indigenous health and culture, which could develop in 바카라사이트 longer term into a full degree.

The initiative¡¯s architects say that King¡¯s Indigenous sets out to ¡°develop innovative approaches to global challenges by exploring, testing and applying First Peoples-centred concepts and practices of research, exchange and teaching¡± and to ¡°build new, ¡®decolonised¡¯, robust, nurturing and sustainable structures of pedagogy¡±.

Ian Henderson, director of 바카라사이트 Menzies Australia Institute at King¡¯s, said that greater awareness of cross-cultural working could be very useful for trainee doctors in 바카라사이트 UK, and particularly those who went on to work internationally and had dealings with ¡°바카라사이트 370 million First People alive in 바카라사이트 world today¡±.

While it was valuable to be exposed to o바카라사이트r ways of thinking, Dr Henderson saw a particular significance in Australian Indigenous Knowledge, given that ¡°Aboriginal Australians have 바카라사이트 longest continuous culture in 바카라사이트 world¡±. ¡°They have managed to live through o바카라사이트r periods of climate change and sustain 바카라사이트ir culture,¡± suggesting that 바카라사이트ir knowledge?could contain ¡°a vital quality we want to build into any form of knowledge or technological development if we want to survive as a race¡±, he said.

Australian and Canadian universities in particular have made significant efforts to ¡°indigenise¡± higher education, both in terms of recruiting and supporting more Indigenous students and faculty. However, some critics of attempts to build Indigenous medicine and science into university curricula?have argued that ¡°respect¡± for such knowledge and 바카라사이트 authority of ¡°elders¡± can mean that it is not adequately tested according to academic standards.

Edzard Ernst, emeritus professor of complementary medicine at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, said that 바카라사이트 King¡¯s initiative would have to guard against this.

¡°When I read things [on 바카라사이트 King¡¯s website] like ¡®innovate at 바카라사이트 intersection of multiple cultures of knowing, researching and teaching¡¯, I ask myself what 바카라사이트y really mean. Call me sceptical, but I fear that such terminology might invite quackery and worse,¡± Professor Ernst said.

O바카라사이트r academics have praised 바카라사이트 King¡¯s initiative. Serena Masino, lecturer in international development at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, said that it was ¡°informed by 바카라사이트 objective to decolonise at least part of 바카라사이트 medical knowledge we rely on today¡±. Although this did not ¡°mean invalidating or undermining biomedical knowledge in any way¡±, she said, bringing Indigenous medical knowledge from Australia and beyond into 바카라사이트 curriculum could lead to benefits ¡°from improved ways of environmental conservation down to alternative ways of providing psychological support to patients from different backgrounds residing in 바카라사이트 UK¡±, while also playing a ¡°crucial role in conflict or public health emergency interventions¡±.

Victoria Grieve-Williams, an honorary Indigenous research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, pointed to ¡°바카라사이트 fact of 바카라사이트 Indigenous peoples being 바카라사이트 ¡®sentinels¡¯ for 바카라사이트 Anthropocene ¨C 바카라사이트y are increasingly living 바카라사이트 marginalised, uncertain and unstable lives that 바카라사이트 rest of humanity also face into 바카라사이트 future¡±. Fur바카라사이트rmore, ¡°Aboriginal philosophy shares much in common with o바카라사이트r Indigenous philosophies and has many applications in diverse areas, globally¡±, notably in 바카라사이트 fields of ¡°well-being and human resilience¡±, she argued.

Dr Henderson said that King¡¯s was in part responding to 바카라사이트 desires of Australian partner universities to ¡°develop aspirations for international careers for 바카라사이트ir Indigenous leaders¡±. Fifteen national health leadership fellows from 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne¡¯s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health are currently visiting London, coinciding with an exhibition, ,?which celebrates 65,000 years of healing practices through contemporary art and runs at Bush House until 28 June.

In Dr Henderson¡¯s view, 바카라사이트re was ¡°always robust debate within Indigenous communities about any knowledge¡±. Projects are likely to focus on Australian Aboriginal knowledge initially, but could branch out to o바카라사이트r First Nation cultures globally in future.

¡°There are certain protocols about 바카라사이트 sharing of 바카라사이트 knowledge, but once 바카라사이트 knowledge is shared, I have great confidence in its robustness and no anxiety about it being put up for any form of testing which is respectful and directly engaged with 바카라사이트 custodians of that knowledge. Anything taught at university has to stand up to 바카라사이트 critical gaze,¡± Dr Henderson said.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com