Chapter 7

Overall timeline for the Going Global project

Interview questions used in Phase 1 of the project

Theme I: Introduction to and overview of decolonisation

1. What is colonisation / colonialism / imperialism?

2. What is decolonisation? / What does decolonisation mean to you, personally?

3. How does decolonisation relate to other social justice ideas and activities – e.g., inclusivity, accessibility, diversity, equality, etc.?

4. What opportunities does decolonisation offer?

5. What are the biggest barriers to, and challenges associated with, decolonisation?

6. What are some examples, from your own experience, that can help illustrate any of the above?

Theme II: Decolonisation in higher education 

1. What is the historical context of the decolonisation movement within HE?

2. Why is decolonisation important within an HE context specifically? / Why should we work to decolonise HE?

3. What does it look like to decolonise the curriculum / the university?

4. How does decolonisation relate to, e.g., diversification, equality, inclusivity, etc.? (and do these latter ideas support or work against / distract from the former?)

5. What are the biggest barriers to / challenges associated with / complicating factors around, decolonisation in HE?

6. What are some examples, from your own experience or practice, that can help illustrate any of the above?

Theme III: Decolonising different disciplines

1. What does decolonisation mean in different disciplines?

   •  Why is this important – what is the purpose?

   • How does this manifest in different approaches?

2. What disciplinary differences do we see in decolonisation efforts?

   • What is the reason for differences in technique?

   • What is the reason for different speeds of engaging with decolonisation?

3. In what ways have you decolonised your own practice? 

4. Do you think that your discipline has struggled more / less than others?

5. What good practice has inspired you from other colleagues / disciplines?

6. Why do STEM fields have a reputation for being more difficult to decolonise – and how do we overcome this?

Theme IV: Indigenous knowledges

1. What are some of the main differences we see between ‘indigenous knowledge’ and colonial epistemologies?

2. What has been the impact of colonialism on indigenous knowledge?

3. Why is language so important to epistemology and ontology?

4. How can we reconcile different ontologies in the context of HE and society in general?

5. How can we foster plurality that welcomes and supports indigenous knowledge?

6. How do we engage with indigenous knowledge without appropriating it? 

   • Who is producing knowledge about indigenous people, and (how) are they involved in that process?

7. What concrete examples / case studies can you share to illustrate the above?

Theme V: The power of place

1. How and why does place affect us – historically and in contemporary time?

   • How do ‘decolonised’ spaces maintain colonial boundaries and structures?

   • What about internal colonisation – and the need to decolonise our minds?

2. How has coloniality impacted place and how we relate to it?

   • What is the impact of sedentarisation, displacement, land grabs, boundaries, etc. generally?

   • How do these impact education more specifically?

3. In what ways can we be more mindful of place in the context of education?

   • What sorts of ‘places’ are important to decolonisation in the context of HE (e.g., classrooms)?

   • Can we have ‘safe space’?

4. What examples can you share from your own experience or practice to illustrate the above? 

Theme VI: Decolonial praxis

1. How can each of us actively act in a decolonial / anti-colonial way?

   • How should we go about reflecting and maintaining self-awareness?

   • How do we learn to see, e.g., privilege, inequality, injustice?

   • What are some methods we can each employ to combat prejudice, lack of access, etc.?

2. In the context of HE, what can staff and students do to bring about a decolonised institution

3. How can decolonisation in HE influence society more generally?

4. What examples can you share from your own experience or practice to illustrate the above?

Theme VII: Decolonisation and student experience

1. How comfortable do students from minoritised/marginalised communities feel in participating in / engaging with learning activities -- and why?

   • How does white/savarna privilege manifest in the classroom? 

   • How do academics ensure that students from minoritised/marginalised communities are not singled out?

2. How are students introduced to decolonisation and how it manifests in their discipline? How are they helped to engage with decolonial ideas and practices in the context of curricula, assessments, student communities, etc.?

   • In what ways does the curriculum reflect the lived experiences of a diverse student community?

3. How are students encouraged to initiate discussions in which they can shape the curriculum, challenge their lecturers,  and/or provide constructive feedback?