The Internationalist

In this first episode we're unpicking the term 'decolonising higher education'. What does it mean? Why is it important? And why do people have issues using this term? Our guests in this episode are: incoming director of SOAS University of London, Adam Habib, and distinguished professor of education at Stellenbosch University and president of the Academy of Science of South Africa, Jonathan Jansen. Find out more about our work on the Association of Commonwealth Universities' website. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email us at communications@acu.ac.uk.View the transcript here.

Curricula - which are basically bodies of knowledge - tend to be modelled on templates of learning that have usually originated in the so-called West. But whose knowledge counts? And once that knowledge is out there, who owns that knowledge? Our guests in this episode are: Meera Sabaratnam, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at SOAS, University of London and Margaret Forster, Associate Head of School of Maori Knowledge - Te Pūtahi-a-Toi at Massey University in New Zealand.Find out more about our work on the Association of Commonwealth Universities' website. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email us at communications@acu.ac.uk.View the transcript here.

As more students from different backgrounds enter higher education, how can universities create a sense of belonging for all those who attend? In this episode we're joined by Candace Brunette-Debassige, Acting Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and Larissa Kennedy, President of the National Union of Students in the UK. We dive into their personal experiences at university and critically look into the idea of these institutions being an inclusive space for all students. Is it realistic?Find out more about our work on the Association of Commonwealth Universities' website. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email us at communications@acu.ac.uk.

In this episode we're talking about reparations, the relationship between universities and their immediate environment and the land they exist on. What do universities have to do to renew their social contract? We're joined by Professor Shaun Ewen, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) of the University of Melbourne in Australia, and Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and Chairman of the Reparations Committee of CARICOM.Find out more about our work on the Association of Commonwealth Universities' website. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email us at communications@acu.ac.uk.

This year has seen an upsurge in calls for symbols of colonialism to be removed - from statue removals to changing the names of buildings. We're discussing the importance of these symbols and whether or not we should be getting rid of them. Our guests in this episode are: Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and Dr Vagishwari, professor in the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History at Christ (deemed to be university) in Bengaluru, India.Find out more about our work on the Association of Commonwealth Universities' website. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email us at communications@acu.ac.uk.

Universities work by sharing knowledge and people across borders - it's essential for research. But the nature of the global economy means that universities in higher income countries are the ones with the money and therefore the power. So will we ever be able to make international collaboration truly collaborative? Our guests in this final episode of the series are: Kirsty Kaiser, Implementation Manager at the Research Fairness Initiative and Imran Rahman, Dean of the School of Business at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.Find out more about our work on the Association of Commonwealth Universities' website. If you have any questions or feedback, you can email us at communications@acu.ac.uk.