Decolonisation Challenge - AIH520098

• Title: Decolonisation Challenge
• Guaranteed by: Centre for Ibero-American Studies (21-SIAS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Actual: from 2022
• Semester: winter
• Points: 0
• E-Credits: 4
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:0/0, other [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• Key competences: critical thinking
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: combined
• Teaching methods: combined
• Additional information: https://decolonisationchallenge.ff.cuni.cz
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Mgr. Monika Brenišínová, Ph.D.

Annotation

Last update: Mgr. Anna Řičář Libánská (15.07.2022)

European science presents itself as universal, but it does so by claiming the European perspective as a universalist one - and thus, it becomes rather Eurocentric. Therefore, we see decolonial thought as a global challenge to problematise the historical impact of colonialism and power politics on formation of knowledge, often still rooted in the dichotomic relationship of the Centre and its Periphery. Through connecting academics already involved in decolonial debates, and proposing decolonial thinking to those who yet haven't, we aim to tackle the problem in an interdisciplinary framework. Decolonial thought directly unites research with the third role of university, i.e., its active involvement in looking for solutions to global economic, social, and environmental problems. This accords with how the place of university in today’s society is understood by contemporary postcolonial scholars like Achille Mbembe, Sara Ahmed or Walter Mignolo.

The notion of European superiority has been embraced by missionaries, rulers, and intellectuals, and it survives to this day – on both micro and macro scales. It is present in international politics, treatment of minorities, in humanitarian aid etc. So, colonialism can be seen as a shared European experience, regarding not only colonial empires, but also the countries that didn't have proper colonies. Here as well discussions on acquiring colonies took place, often following the formation of new national states. How can we collectively therefore decolonise European universities? The challenge of decolonisation confronts us with other questions. Is university truly inclusive to students from all backgrounds? Who is excluded from the discussion and which narratives are given attention which not?

This course was supported by the 4EU+ Student Mini-grants 2022 within the project Decolonisation Challenge (members: Bc. Tereza Hrdlička and Mgr. Anna Řičář Libánská) solved at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in the cooperation with Uniwersytet Warszawski and Università degli Studi di Milano.

Aim of the course

Last update: Mgr. Anna Řičář Libánská (15.07.2022)

The Decolonisation Challenge is an interdisciplinary course and a research project. In cooperation with other students and scholars from the 4EU+ alliance universities, our team (consisting primarily of Anna Řičář Libánská from the Centre for Ibero-American Studies and Tereza Hrdlička from the Department of Art History) is organising four all-day events from October to January 2022, featuring workshops, guest lectures, and debates. The course focuses equally on theoretical and practical academic skills, and critical thinking. The events are held in Prague in a hybrid way - both in person and on-line. The participants, master’s and PhD students, have the option to enroll in our workshop as a course and receive 4 ETCS. The project is not intended for bachelor students.

Course completion requirements

Last update: Mgr. Anna Řičář Libánská (15.07.2022)

Attendance = 75% (3 day out of 4 at least)

All students are required to contribute to the completion of the research in its various stages and present their findings in a form previously agreed on. Therefore it is not obligatory to present research findings in person in the course.

Students of master’s and PhD programs only

Teaching methods

Last update: Mgr. Monika Brenišínová, Ph.D. (14.09.2022)

Each meeting will revolve around a specific topic, on which participants' tasks for the next meeting will be based. The main task throughout the course's period will be centered on research carried out in the individual university departments. It will focus on how non-European cultures have been and are being studied at the universities involved. As a part of our research, we first want to map how cultures outside the canon are being studied at universities included in the project. The outcome should not only serve as an impulse to change perspectives, canons, or teaching methods. It should, too, explore how to make university more transnational and accessible to marginalised groups yet without a share of power in the education system, and to ensure their inclusion in the process of its decolonisation.The results of the research will be presented at the final meeting, taking place in January. We would like to present the results also on the project website.  

Syllabus

1. OCTOBER (7.10., 11.45-16.40, H202): The first meeting (at the beginning of October) will serve as an introduction to the topic of decolonisation, its theories, methods a practices through several lectures. By offering a variety of participative warm-up workshops too, we will be aiming at getting to know each other, followed by networking. Participants will be introduced to the project overview, its goals, and expected outcomes. Apart from the task assigned for the next meeting, they will obtain information about the main task of our project. The main task throughout the project's period will be research carried out in the individual university departments. It will focus on how non-European cultures have been and are being studied at the universities involved. The results of the research will be presented at the final meeting, taking place at the beginning of January. Both during and after the research, the participants will be encouraged to organise a roundtable or debate in their department, and discuss the results of the research with students and department staff.
2. NOVEMBER (4.11., 11.45-16.40, H202): The second meeting (at the beginning of November) will be tackling the topic of the university as a place of knowledge production. Besides various lectures and workshops concerning the topic, the results of the previous task will be presented. 
3. DECEMBER (2.12., 11.45-16.40, H202): The third meeting (at the beginning of December) will be using the same. The theme of the meeting will be the university in cooperation with external cultural actors. 
4. JANUARY (6.1., 11.45-16.40, H202): The fourth meeting (at the beginning of January) The results of the research will be presented and further discussed in January. These should be further graphically processed and presented on the project website, together with other project outputs. There will also be an evaluation of the whole project, including feedback from the organisers and participants. Possible further cooperation between the project participants will also be considered.