Decolonising DMU Decolonising DMU

This episodes explores the impact of Eurocentric curricula in Education Studies and in education generally. Senior Lecturer, Rik Kennedy and Dr Motje Wolf from De Montfort University explain how they have been making their modules inclusive and offering opportunities to hear other narratives in order to decolonise their learning and teaching and how this is equipping and empowering their students for careers in education. There is also a concentration on how music is taught to young children in schools.

Three different lectures explain how they have tried to deoclonise Law at undergraduate level at De Montfort University to make the subject reflective and inclusive. The episode features, Amanda Aktar Senior Lecture in Law who teaches Law and Religion, Dr Conrad Nyamutata, Senior Lecturer in Law who teaches international child law and Dr Zainab Navqi senior lecturer in Law who focuses on gender and law.

To become an anti- racist University requires change across all departments. Social Innovation and Engagement at De Montfort University is home to the events team, alumni, employment, sport and music. So how are they  encouraging more ethnic students to partake in the university sports teams? Preparing students to understand cultural differences as they travel aboard? and make events organised by the university more inclusive? Just some of the issues Laura Hailstone, Head of Events at De Montfort University, Emilie Fairnington, Sport project co-odinator and Aamena Meidell, Student Exchange Officer explore as they discuss how their department strives to become inclusive and anti-racist.

A  lot of attention has been drawn to the fact that the histories of Black and Asian communities in the UK are not addressed in schools. So how are universities addressing the issue? Professor of  History Panikos Panayi and Dr Chris Roy Zembe, Lecturer in History at De Montfort University explain efforts to decolonise history curricula and encourage more young Black students to take up History at undergraduate level.

Whilst there has been greater attention and focus on the notion of decolonising for examples in museums or the arts most of the energy has concentrated upon the inclusion of material from the Global South. In Universities there have been efforts to broaden the literature used on reading lists and the inclusion of other world perspectives in lessons. However, as this episode discusses more can be done to make Universities more accessible for bilingual and International students. This episode looks not only at decolonising the reading list but why students should not be stigmatised for failing to conform to western models of learning and language styles. Guests Kaye Towlson, Librarian at De Montfort University and Sumaya Loonat, Senior International Lecturer in Law.

What impact can equality, diversity and inclusion strategies and processes have on the lived experiences of staff and students in higher education. In this episode De Montfort University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Katie Normington and Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Chris Hall share their thoughts on how to create a fair and inclusive institution and culture. Spoiler alert there is no quick fix, this type of work requires continuous time, effort and consideration because staff and students need to be equipped and confident in the knowledge they can be supported if they report something, progress in careers or as students be aware their institution is tackling the awarding gap.