In this episode the team share their ideas behind The Pluriversity Podcast and what motivated them to get involved with the project, as well as their highlights from the series.

As you listen, if you wish, you can provide feedback here: https://forms.office.com/e/rJWZhNCPp5

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/

In this episode, Prof Rowena Arshad, Prof Emerita from the University of Edinburgh who was awarded an OBE in 2001 for services to race equality in Scotland and a CBE for services to equality and education in 2019, provides her perspective on how to decolonise Higher Education. She highlights the difficulty of the task which goes beyond what we teach but also how we assess and supervise our students, and which is often faced with backlash. She explains how although those in positions of power have a major role in decolonising Higher Education, everyone must be involved in this initiative which requires planning and needs to be informed by the lived experiences of those whose voices, identities, lives, contributions, histories have been rendered invisible or overwritten as a result of colonialism and imperialism.

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/

In this episode, Dr Geetha Marcus, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education at the University of Edinburgh, discusses ways of decolonising primary education, which, despite the moves towards inclusive practices, involves challenging the existing authoritarian, one size fits all nature of our schools. She suggests including indigenous knowledge and skills, giving genuine and meaningful space to creativity and pupil voice, and reimagining different spaces of learning. She further highlights how leadership, academics and students all have the power to decolonise Higher Education institutions and highlights some of the difficulties she has faced along her journey.

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/

In this episode we talk to Munyaradzi Mushonga, Senior Lecturer & Programme Director for Africa Studies, Centre for Gender & Africa Studies, at the University of the Free State in South Africa. Munyaradzi gives us his grounding and starting points for understanding and developing a decolonial practice in Higher Education, offering a thoughtful and thought-provoking entry point for anyone looking to begin their decolonial journey.

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/

In this episode we talk to Kyra Araneta and Dr Fatima Maatwk from the University of Westminster about the potential of podcasts to co-create knowledge and communicate to a wide range of audiences. Both have been involved in making the Pedagogies for Social Justice podcast a huge success. With over 30 episodes it has just wrapped up its third season. Kyra talks about how the podcast space can be made safe for guests and Fatima emphasises the importance of partnering with students when doing decolonial and social justice work.

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/

In this conversation, Olumuyiwa Opaleye, postgraduate student at Edinburgh Napier University, and Omar Saleh, undergraduate student at the University of Glasgow, talk about their experiences of being an international student in Scotland. Both represent students at their university and share what motivated them to get involved, campaigns close to their heart, and offer their perspectives on taking action on Decolonising the Curriculum.

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/

In this conversation with Dr Barbara Adewumi and Rachel Gefferie we discuss how racism and coloniality are intertwined and how the Diversity Mark Programme works to create a sense of belonging among racially minoritized students at the University of Kent. Crucially, students are engaged in this process as paid staff members who are trained to enter negotiations with course conveners. While Rachel outlines how this process works in practice, Barbara gives insight into Critical Race Theory and how it is used as a conceptual and methodological framework for the programme.

Since the recording of this episode, Barbara has been promoted to Senior Research Fellow. 

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/

In this episode we speak to activist, educator, and organiser Sapna Agarwal. Sapna discusses her perspective on decoloniality in community settings, and how space and place plays a role in developing a decolonial practice, and how institutions can support and share learning with community organisations to mutually benefit our ongoing decoloniality. Sapna also speaks about emotions, and specifically joy, as an essential part of her practice.

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/

In this dialogue, we are joined by Sara Camacho Felix, Assistant Professor (Education) and Programme Lead for the Atlantic Fellows in Social and Economic Equity programme at the London School of Economics, and Jay Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Economic and Social History School of Social & Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow. Sara and Jay discuss whether education can be decolonised from the heart of empire – from the metropole – the sites of imperial nations.

Our blog: https://decolonising.glasgow.ac.uk/