King's College London

This project examines how to ethically and appropriately stage conversations between scholarly traditions that share a common object of critique: Western ontologies and epistemologies. It focuses on understanding how to foster dialogues between critical traditions marginalised by the West and those working within, but against, the Western episteme. As efforts to decolonise curricula and research practices gain momentum, there is an urgent need to develop methodologies for facilitating these cross-tradition conversations that avoid extractive, tokenistic or performative approaches.

At the heart of this project is a series of workshops culminating in a one-day symposium. The event will bring together scholars to explore the challenges and opportunities in fostering dialogues across diverse critical traditions, with reflections drawing on European and Black feminist thought among others. Key questions to be examined include: How can we create genuine, reciprocal dialogues between Western and non-Western critical traditions? What are the ethical considerations when engaging with scholarship that has been historically marginalised or excluded? How can we identify appropriate points of intersection between different critical traditions without flattening their distinctiveness? What is the value of fostering humility and vulnerability in scholarly practices?

The insights generated from this project will contribute significantly to ongoing debates about decolonising the curriculum and research practices. By fostering interprofessional and intercultural reflections, the initiative aims to create a platform for developing critical knowledge that challenges and expands our current understanding of Western philosophical and cultural paradigms. Moreover, it will inform the development of more ethically-grounded and culturally responsive pedagogies, helping educators to create more inclusive and diverse learning environments. Ultimately, this project seeks to equip academics with new tools and perspectives for addressing cultural competency in both teaching and research practices, fostering a more nuanced and respectful engagement across diverse intellectual traditions.

Image: Bruno Ramos Lara on Unsplash