On decolonisation and internationalisation of university curricula: What can we learn from Rosi Braidotti?

Abstract

In this article I explore the (non)constructive contestations between decolonisation and internationalisation and the extent to which this might inform the construction of undergraduate university curricula. To augment this exploration, I consider Rosi Braidotti's The Posthuman (2013) to ask what we can learn from Braidotti when it comes to the decolonisation and internationalisation of undergraduate university curricula. First, I discuss decolonisation and internationalisation and then argue that decolonisation and internationalisation are not opposites and that there are constructive contentions between the two once we think about the transformative potential of university curricula. In conclusion, I argue that in the light of debates about decolonisation and internationalisation, the ontology, epistemology and the ethics of undergraduate university curricula should be placed under the magnifying glass since such an endeavour has the potential to bring about deep transformation in higher education institutions.

Research on the possibility of improving technical higher education through the parties involved in the Bologna Process

“…In the case of South African universities, it was during the 2015/16 #Feesmustfall and #Rhodesmustfall movements that the decolonisation debates were oiled and 'wheels got spinning'. The calls for decolonisation during these movements were often characterized by violence as student protesters questioned the Eurocentric nature of the curriculum (Fomunyam & Teferra, 2017;Du Preez, 2018;Le Grange, 2018). As a result the need for higher education institutions to foster and engage in debate around transformation and decolonisation of the curriculum has been reignited.…”

“…It is well recognized that decolonisation is a broad term that different meanings for different people (Mheta, Lungu & Govender, 2018). In the context of this paper it is not possible to explore the various definitions in depth; extensive analyses of the concept of decolonisation are offered by, for example, Le Grange 2018; Fomunyam & Teferra, 2017;Du Preez, 2018;Mheta, Lungu & Govender, 2018). However, it is generally understood that decolonisation is about making efforts to challenge the process of colonisation and racialisation, and the historical and continued effects it has on maintaining colonial knowledge (Le Grange 2016; Heleta 2016; Higgs 2016).…”

“…At the outset the caveat that internationalisation initiatives, especially those pertaining to the curriculum, have the potential to become another form of colonisation must be heeded (Pinar, 2010;Du Preez, 2018;& Majee & Rees, 2018). A critique of internationalisation in higher education from the departure point of its colonial history to its conceptualisation in the last decade is presented by Stein (2017).…”

Knowing, Being, Relating and Expressing Through Third Space Global South-North COIL: Digital Inclusion and Equity in International Higher Education

“…Baumvol, 2019) and open up learning spaces for alternative ways of knowing, being, relating and expressing, which we examine as Third Space learning (Jørgensen et al, 2020;Soja, 1996). As a Third Space, we discuss how COIL can offer a productive, dialogic, and reflective space that engenders new possibility to redress past inequalities and injustices, to challenge the dominance of western knowledge and pedagogy, and to question the colonial roots of university practices and curricula (du Preez, 2018). As a fertile in-between space, an interruptive and interrogative space (Bhabha, 1994), we suggest COIL offers a Third Space where multiple discourses may be woven together without sacrificing or dismissing the importance of their speakers' experiences and ways of knowing the world.…”

The Academic Mobility of Students from Kazakhstan to Japan: Problems and Prospects

“…Some researches stress its benefit in terms of creating a new generation of global citizens (Hudzik 2011). More recent studies of internationalization focus on decolonization and its reflection in university policies (Dawson 2020;du Preez 2018).…”