Efforts at decolonising education in the UK have become the object of some controversy. In the wake of strong movements for decolonisation, equality and Black Lives, universities have professed their commitment to eradicating racial and gender discrimination, to reducing persistent ‘equality gaps’ in student attainment and staff pay, and to tackling the existing underrepresentation of Black and global majority students and staff. Decolonisation is essential to achieving these goals. But decolonisation has also been denounced or rejected by some as a ‘woke militants’’ attempt to rewrite, if not erase, history.

Demystifying Decolonisation, an event hosted by the King’s Decolonising Working Group, aims at dispelling some of the dominant myths about decolonisation and provides a forum for students and staff from King’s and other universities in the UK and South Africa to discuss their different experiences with decolonising HE.

This student-led panel will introduce the movement for decolonisation, at King’s and internationally, and discuss why it is important for students, staff, Higher Education and society at large. Students and staff will have the opportunity to ask the panellists questions, share their own comments and suggestions for the initiative and more.

Chairs: Martina Ciravegna & Vaishnav Rajkumar (Decol)

• Dr Terri Maggott, former student activist and Deputy president of the University of Johannesburg’s student representative council; Research Associate at UJ Department of Sociology.
• Prof Helen Barefoot, founder of the BAME Ambassador Programme, University of Hertfordshire & Danecia Barrett, Senior BAME Student Ambassador, University of Hertfordshire
• Dr Jayaraj Sundaresan, Decolonizing LSE Collective
• Students from King’s Decol Working Group

King’s Decolonising Working Group (Decol) was established in 2018/19, and is an initiative by staff and students to work towards decolonising the university and university education at King's College London and beyond.