Advancing Decolonial Knowledge Production in Higher Education
February 12–14, 2025 | Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana
The Institute of African Studies (IAS), University of Ghana, successfully hosted a three-day workshop from February 12–14, 2025, under the theme “Advancing Decolonial Knowledge Production in Higher Education.” Held at the Kwabena Nketia Conference Room, the workshop brought together academics, researchers, students, and creatives from diverse backgrounds to interrogate the colonial legacies embedded in African higher education systems and to strategize on how to dismantle them.
Day One opened with a warm welcome and introductions from the project team led by Dr. Frehiwot. Key facilitators, including Toni Haastrup, Andreja Zevnik, and Meghan Tinsley, shared the rationale and goals of the workshop—highlighting the need for ongoing conversations, publications, and open-access dissemination of decolonial knowledge. The first plenary, “What Does It Mean to Decolonise? Why Now?”, featured robust discussions around land rights, language, legal systems, cultural identity, and the pervasive influence of colonial thought in everyday life. Scholars emphasized the importance of rethinking knowledge systems, challenging educational content, and promoting African agency in academia.
Day Two deepened the conversations through the plenary session “Knowledge Hierarchies and Language Politics.” Speakers such as Dr. Hasiyatu Abubakari, Dr. Christine Muthoni, Dr. Genevive Nrenzah, and Meghan Tinsley challenged the dominance of Western epistemologies and called for greater recognition of indigenous knowledge systems. Discussions explored the roles of language, oral traditions, and identity in shaping education, and proposed practical actions including the use of local languages in research, curriculum Africanisation, teacher training, and community engagement.
The afternoon plenary, “In Conversation: Decolonising Institutions,” interrogated the colonial roots of African universities and offered insights into how institutional reforms could reflect African values and contexts. Participants called for equitable research partnerships, policy change, faculty reorientation, and greater integration of oral knowledge. A group dialogue highlighted action steps including decolonising curricula, empowering marginalised communities, and using technology and media to spread decolonial thought.
The final day of the workshop featured a community engagement trip to the Nkyinkyim Museum in Ada. Moderated by Dr. Sela Adjei, this session included a powerful panel of artists and creatives—fashion designer Beatrice Arthur, poet Yom Nojoh, sculptor Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, filmmaker Cecilia Avorkliyah, musician Feli Nuna, and others—who shared how their crafts embody decolonial ideals. Their stories underscored the importance of art, language, and cultural expression in reclaiming African narratives and identities. A tour of the museum guided by Kwame Akoto-Bamfo brought to life the themes of ancestral memory, resistance, and African innovation through symbolic sculptures and storytelling.
The workshop ended on a high note, leaving participants inspired to further the decolonial agenda in their respective fields. The IAS remains committed to creating spaces for critical engagement, interdisciplinary dialogue, and transformative scholarship that honours and uplifts African knowledge systems.
