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Forum on “Cultures of Decolonisation at UCL"

02 July 2024, 1:00 pm–2:30 pm

Background with a statue from the portico, with UCL Logo of Grand Challenges and the text is forum: cultures of decolonisation at UCL

Join colleagues from across all UCL faculties at this brief forum in Room 642, 20 Bedford Way to discover and discuss current research on decolonisation happening at UCL.

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Cost

Free

Organiser

Kester Muller – UCL Development Education Research Centre, Institute of Education

Location

Room 642
Institute of Education
20 Bedford Way
London
WC1H 0AL
United Kingdom

Background

In 2022, the UCL Grand Challenge of Cultural Understanding (GCCU) published the “Cultures of Decolonisation at UCL” research report. The report features views and experiences of UCL researchers, doctoral students, and professional staff on the extent to which the institution’s norms and practices support decolonising research.

To further the aims of the project, the GCCU instituted a Special Funding Initiative called "Furthering Cultures of Decolonisation within Research" that has supported small research projects that take forward themes from the report. These projects cover a range of topics, including decolonising research ethics, doctoral research and supervision, student-staff community engagement as a form of decolonial practice, as well as transforming research practices through the use of decolonial terms.

Event focus

As a follow-on activity, this UCL-wide forum on “Cultures of Decolonisation at UCL” will bring together researchers, professional staff, and students to discuss the report themes and findings, as well as hear about the currently active funded projects connected to this initiative.

The forum will provide a platform for attendees to deliberate on the complexities and possibilities of decolonising research, both in the current context of higher education in the UK, and globally.

Event format & location

In-person attendance is encouraged, but online participation will be possible via a Zoom session. You can choose this option at checkout.

You can find out more about getting to 20 Bedford Way, and accessibility info, here.

This event is intended for UCL Staff and Students. If you are from outside UCL and are interested in this event, please contact the event organisers.

Agenda

The event will be 60 minutes of presentations and 30 minutes of discussion. It will be followed by an informal networking session, should you want to continue the discussions in smaller groups over a drink.

  1. 13:00 - 13:20 Introduction and summary of the Cultures of Decolonisation report: Professor Douglas Bourn & Dr Simon Eten (IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education & Society)
  2. 13:20 - 14:00 Short presentations of "Furthering Cultures of Decolonisation within Research" projects:
  • Politics and Archaeology student-staff-community ‘Fieldtrip and Storytelling Workshop’ in Whitechapel: Sarah Wolferstan (Institute of Archaeology) & Dr Adam Harris (Department of Political Science)
  • Decolonisation, Ethics and Reflexivity: Dr Christine Callender & Dr Amanda McCrory (IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education & Society)
  • A Glossary of Decolonial Terms: Transforming Research Practices in the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at UCL: Sara Shafiei & Felicity Atekpe (Bartlett School of Architecture)
  • Decolonising Doctoral Supervision and Research at UCL: Dr Emma Jones, Dr Leda Kamenopoulou & Dr Laila Kadiwal (IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education & Society)
  1. 14.00 - 14.05 Comment from Sam Balch, Grand Challenges Director
  2. 14:05 - 14:30 Discussion of presentations and whole group discussion.
  3. 14:30 Forum session ends
  4. 14:30 - 15:15 Additional networking session that allows for participants to continue the conversations informally. Refreshments will be provided.