Description
This paper investigates how UK Politics departments are approaching decolonisation and the staff visions of a decolonised Higher Education sector. Decolonisation is often perceived as a 'buzzword' of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts in the HE sector. However, the complexity of decolonisation, merits a wider discussion on how decolonisation should be pursued and organised. Using online interviews with academics with different levels of seniority, this research explores staff experiences and perceptions of current decolonisation efforts at the departmental and university level.
The research has two main objectives. Firstly, it aims to understand how academics view ongoing decolonisation initiatives. Secondly, it seeks to identify common ground for building a vision of a decolonised Higher Education sector. During the second part of the interviews, participants are encouraged to discuss priorities, pathways, and desired outcomes. This paper focuses on the imaginaries around the production of knowledge, visions on how to move beyond Western-centric and Western-produced research; Diffusion of knowledge, imaginaries on how to move beyond the canon; and Teaching approaches, imaginations on how to avoid reproducing colonial relations within the classroom. This research hopes to contribute to a more inclusive and critical Politics curriculum and Higher Education environment.
