How do we teach the world?

A conversation about decolonization, processes of unlearning and 'aha moments' in institutions of higher education

Abstract

The following is the result of a recorded discussion or trialogue that we, the authors of this contribution, had in June 2019. In previous conversations we had already settled on some central questions for discussion. Among the guiding questions were: how do colonialism and racism shape the world in which we are teaching? How does this affect us as university teachers? How did we become uncomfortable with coloniality, racism, and Eurocentrism within institutions of higher education (HE) and what are our personal concerns and positionalities? What does teaching at the university mean to us and (how) do we challenge traditional teaching practices? And finally, what kind of knowledges do we teach and how are they intersecting with traditional academic texts? Our conversation, like almost every good and inspiring conversation, has developed its own dynamics. Anticipating this, we decided to record our trialogue. Even in conversations that may at first appear to be uncontroversial, aspects arise that reveal new and unexplored questions. We all believe in the idea of (un-)learning from each other and of (un-)learning together.