City University of London is still early on its path to becoming a decolonised university. As part of the Black History Month events that were being held throughout October, this panel event was the closing one. To decolonise we need to realise the extent to which our education and world have been shaped by racism and empire. The horrifying murder of George Floyd on May 25 made us realise the extent to which constitutional racism was embedded into society.
QUESTION: Do you think Decolonisation is important and why?
Answered by: Anthony Finkelstein – City, University of London President
I am seized of the importance of the decolonisation agenda. I will own that I don’t like the term decolonisation, due to the many strands of the word; the legacy of colonisation, cultural facility, equity etcetera – I do, however, believe that the discomfort of this term is its best merit.
We need to avoid educating within a single frame, this can be done by engaging in a dialogue with the staff and students and collective questioning what and how we present material.
QUESTION: Tell us of the work done by the business school of decolonisation.
Answered by: Bobby Banerjee – Associate Dean of Research and Enterprise at Bayes Business School
It is important to realise that decolonisation means different things to different people. The Baynes Business School did two workshops, more than 600 participants worldwide attended, there is tremendous interest in decolonisation, and something we realised is that no one knows how to tackle this issue. Dropping the old business school name as it was named after a slave trader came with backlash, many said that they were “erasing history”
We need to address colonial history, as it informs contemporary injustices. Remember, history is an argument.
Diversity is not decolonisation. We need to link colonisation to what we teach today. Subject leaders need to be working to teach students about colonisation and its detrimental effects. The conversation of decolonisation may be out of some people’s comfort zones, but they need to begin, we have to start somewhere.
QUESTION: What does decolonisation mean to you?
Answered by: Purity Ajuko – Black and Minority Ethnic Officer
Decolonisation seeks to confront and challenge imperial legacies in institutions in order to create change. We need to see the curriculum as having multiple differing perspectives; we are learning about history from westernised authors, only learning through one perspective and that needs to change.
The senior staff level isn’t as diverse as it needs to be. Our university has predominantly minority students and the lack of diversity with the staff can be discouraging. It is imperative that City employs people from multicultural backgrounds.
We need to address both formal and informal racism. We cannot have these types of discussions only during Black History Month, open discussions need to be held so BAME kids feel more confident and secure. Acknowledging the importance of representation is a key first step!
QUESTION: Let’s discuss the debate around terminology
Answered by: Diana Yeh – Associate Dean EDI at SASS
Decolonisation: there is a fear of this word being misinterpreted. There are different understandings and it is often used performatively. It’s not about compromising standards or excluding anything/anyone. It is about acknowledging the structures of colonialism – focusing on social divisions.
We should seek to eradicate inequalities by enhancing education and encouraging critical debates. In SASS, we aim to create a dynamic, formal thinking environment. In SASS, there are 60% BAME students, and so it is imperative that we decolonise university; to help shape the lives of our students. Kingston University completed a curriculum review project which created an 18.5% difference, showing us that decolonising the curriculum is in fact possible, and has begun to be implemented.
QUESTION: What happens when this agenda is not a priority?
There needs to be direct management actions, as this will make a significant difference. Decolonisation is about the politics of knowledge production.
Decolonisation is explicitly political! The Bayes Business School asked for a statement to be released after the murder of George Floyd and the body said that they were unable to take a political stance.
Not taking a political stance is a political stance!
QUESTION: How can we make City more diverse?
There needs to be a focus on closing the gender pay gap. As stressed by Finkelstein, we need to take steps to address this, however, there are many structural changes that need to be addressed.
Although a cultural fit is not part of the recruitment process, it may be subconscious, so once again, we need to diversify the boards.
QUESTION: Does City have a responsibility to decolonise externally?
Absolutely. If we have a partnership with someone who contradicts our morals, then we need to ask why we have a partnership with them.
QUESTION: Importance of elections
When new people are elected, the conversations change! We have the power to appoint more representative people. Teaching people about race is not the job of people of colour, is not the job of BAME singularly.
Why?
To conclude, decolonising our university is something of utmost importance and should be at the forefront of both staff and students minds as they continue their journey at City University and in general life. We need to unlearn the narrative that we’ve been taught growing up and re-educate ourselves and those around us.
Earlier this term Carrot Magazine interviewed the BAME Women’s society, click here to find out more.