Reflections on engagement with members of UCL’s community during the Cultures of Decolonisation at UCL research initiative
Written by Simon Eten Angyagre, postgraduate research student at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society.
“And the question that… I do ask [myself] when debates about decolonisation are going on, is what are you willing to give up? It comes down to being able to shed privilege, and I know I have to give stuff up. I’ve been very privileged, you know…what am I willing to do?”
This statement was made by a White male professor during an interview conducted as part of the recent Cultures of Decolonisation at UCL research initiative of the UCL Grand Challenge of Cultural Understanding Working Group. They were asked about actions required to decolonise research at UCL and for me this perspective, along with other views proffered by participants in the project, have been instructive and enlightening. Having been recruited as a researcher for the project, the prospect of interviewing UCL’s community on the topic of decolonisation was intriguing. I was keen to see how diverse disciplinary and ethnic backgrounds would approach a topic that is very important but also can be contentious and sensitive.
I found that during the interviews, many researchers displayed what I will call ‘intellectual honesty.’ Showing a frank and open engagement with the issues as they pertain to debates on decolonisation. This is exemplified in the opening quote in this piece; a quote that speaks to the complexities associated with doing decolonial work from a position of privilege which may require some ‘de-privileging’. But at the same time, the statement underscores the fact that, in privilege, self-reflection is vital and can lead to personal or institutional action to contribute to redressing unjust relationships.
The ‘intellectual honesty’ again comes through in a view shared by a Black female professor, who prefaced her response to my first question with the following narrative:
“…I’m a Black woman…I was born in Canada and live in a wealthy high-income country and have different accesses to power and resources. So, for me that means that I don’t lead decolonising work, but I do have an interest in how my work can contribute to that cause.”
Implicit in this is the recognition that, as a professor from a minority group, and in a comparative sense, working in the Western academy and living in wealthy societies affords certain privileges. There is also the recognition that even without the lived experience of groups and communities on the margins of society, such privilege can be deployed to support the cause of the disenfranchised. A key learning point that I pick from the two narratives is that privilege or conversely de-privileging, are absolutely key to decolonising work. They can be a force for good, and in the hands of self-reflective individuals and institutions, can contribute to bringing about transformation towards creating more just and equal societies.
These views, among many others shared by UCL colleagues, along with details of research projects and initiatives deploying a decolonising approach are included in the final report of the Cultures of Decolonisation at UCL project.
The project was undertaken to map decolonisation efforts across UCL and to assess the extent to which the institution’s research structures and norms support and facilitate decolonising research. The findings show a substantial amount of decolonising research activities going on across UCL. These are anchored in research principles and practices that seek to promote co-production, equitable participation and intersectionality in research as well as giving visibility to the scholarly works of minoritized groups and embedding equity, diversity and inclusion in postgraduate research training.
The project also highlights recommendations where research at UCL can be more inclusive. These pertain to ethics review processes, the need to streamline internal funding mechanisms for more equitable international research partnerships as well as centring decolonial praxis in the work of EDI committees, doctoral training and staff professional development training. The project reveals significant disruptive thinking going on in the domain of research on culture and society. Depending on the disciplinary field, many researchers were found to be pursuing this through the reframing of the decolonisation question, often using different language, and sometimes more disruptive concepts and methodologies in efforts to destabilise established hegemonies.
The findings from the project provide significant insights into the UCL community’s work on decolonising research but also show that more needs to be done. It was a privilege interviewing colleagues and I thank them for their honesty and engagement. I believe that the findings can contribute to UCL’s evolved Grand Challenges programme and will continue to shape activities for the Grand Challenge of Cultural Understanding over the academic year ahead.
The report aims to provoke debate across faculties within the university and we would welcome opportunities to discuss its findings and recommendations. To find out more and to contribute, contact Professor Douglas Bourn and Professor Audrey Prost, co-chairs of the Grand Challenge of Cultural Understanding Working Group.
