A contemporary challenge for universities is to transform decolonial theory into decolonial praxis. To do so requires expertise, scholarship and thought leadership rather than instrumental approaches to 'decolonise'.

In this proposed Research Topic, we explore ‘decoloniality’ not so much a political project than it is an epistemological one. Our construction of knowledge of and the praxis of decoloniality, is underpinned by what Roy Bhaskar calls ‘an ontology of persons,’ the over-arching Southern African philosophy of which is Ubuntu – “I am, because we are”.

We recognise that the expertise, scholarship, and thought leadership can take many forms and is embodied in different ways. In our collection, we aim to bring together global perspectives on decoloniality. We hope to provide space for scholars at different stages of their career trajectory as well as indigenous voices from around the world, to re-imagine higher education as a site of decolonial praxis.

As such, we propose contributions (vignettes, case studies, empirical studies, conceptual papers, discussion papers) from scholars based in Africa, America, and Europe to explore the ways in which decolonial thinking impacts on our ways of thinking, speaking, and living across different jurisdictions around the world. In doing so, we explore the historical and cultural contexts in which colonialism, imperialism, settler occupation, and capitalism have shaped and influenced sites of learning and scholarship around the world. However, the focus of the papers in the collection is to bring together the ‘decoloniality praxis’ of ‘undoing and redoing’ narrated through global perspectives of differing cultural and historical contexts.

But as well as looking back to antecedents of colonialism in these discussions, we seek to look forward. Technological advancements in artificial intelligence and augmented realities means how we see the world and our connections with each other is rapidly changing across place and space. Decolonial praxis cannot be separated from this context. Our collection aims to end with a discussion of how meta-changes may impact on decolonial praxis in the future.

We welcome submissions encompassing, but not limited to, the following themes:

Theme 1: Decoloniality as an epistemic project
What is decoloniality? How does decoloniality enable a reimagining of dominant logics and canons of knowledge? How do we challenge colonial ways of thinking and being in higher education?

Theme 2: The labour logics of decoloniality
Who does the working of undoing and redoing? Where does this work need to happen? What are the capital structures underpinning this work? What is the benefit or return? Where and how should universities invest in decolonial work?

Theme 3: Ubuntu: The ontology of persons
Who benefits? Who loses? Where does decoloniality happen and for whom?

Theme 4: Decolonial praxis in higher education
How is theory bridged into praxis? What is needed for decolonial praxis? What does decolonial praxis look like?

Theme 5: Reimagining futures
What is the role of technology e.g., augmented technology, artificial intelligence that shapes how we see the world in decolonial praxis? How might other meta-changes impact on decoloniality in the future?

Submission of manuscript summaries (1000 words maximum) are encouraged by the date outlined above, to allow the Topic Editors to provide feedback to authors ahead of the submission of full manuscripts.

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Frontiers in Sociology

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