About the Conference

Concept Note

As the momentum towards decolonising knowledge production grows globally, scholars and practitioners are increasingly questioning the foundations of current methodologies and frameworks that have relegated indigenous and ancient traditions to the margins. Colonial encounters did not merely exploit bodies and lands but fundamentally undermined civilizational knowledge systems—altering what is valued as knowledge itself. In response, there is an urgent call to re-anchor scholarship in ancient traditions, not as relics of the past, but as living repositories of plural epistemologies, ethical worldviews, and robust methodologies. This conference invites a collective turning of attention towards ancient traditions and indigenous knowledge systems as pivotal resources for re-imagining methodology and effecting genuine decolonisation. 

Conference Objectives 

• To interrogate inherited, colonial research methodologies and present alternatives rooted in decolonial philosophy and the wisdom traditions of ancient cultures. 

• To explore how ancient traditions and indigenous knowledge systems can offer critical frameworks for current academic research, ethical practice, and community engagement. 

• To create a platform for dialogue among scholars, tradition-bearers, and practitioners, fostering collaborative approaches that integrate ancient worldviews with methodological innovation.

Significance of this conference 

It recognises ancient traditions not as static objects of study but as dynamic sources of knowledge and methodology. By challenging colonial hierarchies of knowledge, "Shifting the Lenses" seeks to recover the continuity between past and present, offering pathways for future scholarship that are holistic, context-sensitive, and just. The intent is not simply to critique, but to revitalise and integrate ancient wisdom into pressing contemporary academic and social challenges. 

Expected Outcomes 

• Strengthening of networks committed to methodological decolonisation and traditional knowledge revitalisation. 

• Promotion of research and expertise on ancient traditions and their cultural and philosophical significance. 

• Publication of proceedings highlighting interdisciplinary and tradition-centred methodologies. 

• Policy recommendations for educational and cultural institutions. 

• Creation of open-access digital resources on ancient traditions and innovative research strategies