Nana Ama, an education policy and system specialist, discusses the challenges of navigating power in education systems and the importance of local voices in shaping policy. She emphasizes the need for a decolonial approach to education reform, highlighting the impact of lived experience and local expertise.

The conversation delves into the systemic nature of imposter syndrome and its connection to coloniality in knowledge production. It explores the impact of Orientalism on knowledge authorization and the structural production of imposter syndrome. The discussion also highlights the role of positionality in research and the reframing of imposter syndrome as a form of criticality.

In this insightful interview, Aafreen shares her journey through academia, her experiences with imposter syndrome, and how lived experience can serve as a powerful form of knowledge. She discusses the impact of her upbringing in Kashmir, her academic pursuits, and her current research on belongingness in STEM education.

Do you ever feel like an imposter?

This trailer introduces The Imposters, a podcast that explores the recentering of expertise in global development and highlights the need to recognize communities as decision makers and leaders in their own right. It challenges the traditional view of communities as recipients and beneficiaries, emphasizing the importance of lived experience in shaping expertise in development work.

Welcome to The Imposters. Launching April 2026.