Season 1
Episode 1: Jennifer Fraser and Fatima Maatwk (Pilot)
Hosted by Kyra Araneta. In this episode, project members Jennifer Fraser (University Director of Student Partnership in the Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation) and Fatima Maatwk (Student Partnership Lecturer in the CETI) discuss where the project situates itself within anti-racist and decolonial work, how it came to be, and why student-staff partnership is pivotal to any effort towards social justice in HE.
Listen to this episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 2: Yahlnaaw – Indigenous worldviews, language revitalisation and Psychology as a colonial discipline
In this episode of the podcast, our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Yahlnaaw (she/her) as she speaks to her experiences as a woman who holds the identities of being Indigenous, Queer, and Transgender while encompassing the epistemologies (ways of knowing), ontologies (ways of being) and axiology (values) that accompany her intersecting identities. Yahlnaaw delves into navigating Indigenous identity while being submersed in colonial social systems and revitalizing her Indigenous language as a second language learner and how it has influenced her master’s thesis research. Yahlnaaw offers possible avenues for communities to utilize in the de-constructing processes of oppressive and colonizing frameworks and systems.
Listen to this episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 3: Lubaba Khalid – Multiraciality, the attainment gap and student unions
In this episode of the podcast, our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Lubaba Khalid. Lubaba has been involved in numerous projects during her time at Westminster, from being a co-author on the “What is the attainment gap?” report as a student, a BAME representation officer, and her most recent position as former Vice President of Welfare in the Student Union. In this interview, we delve deeper into her background and identity, as well her journey into becoming the leader, activist and role model she is today.
Listen to this episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 4: Deanne Bell – Decolonial atmospheres, retrospective autoethnography and decolonising Psychology
In this episode of the podcast our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Deanne Bell, Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University – with specialities in liberation psychology and decolonisation. Some of her most recent work focuses on building decolonial atmospheres and developing imaginings of a new university that exists outside of the colonial forms of knowing and being that are still deeply entrenched in the system. In this interview, we delve deeper into Deanne’s upbringing in Jamaica and how she came to understand her identity and positionality, her recent paper on retrospective autoethnography and what she thinks can be done to decolonise psychology as a discipline.
Listen to this episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 5: Episode 5: Tanveer Ahmed: Decolonising Fashion Design and shifting the Western canon
In this episode of the podcast our host Fatima Maatwk is joined by PhD student and visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths and University of London, Tanveer Ahmed to discuss what it means to teach and think critically about Fashion Design (FD). Some of her most recent work focuses on how representations of the Other are reinforced in in FD curricula as well as how Black feminist literature can aid our understanding and help educators to develop anti-racist and culturally progressive FD pedagogy. In this interview, we delve deeper into Tanveer’s academic background and how she came to understand the Eurocentric, capitalistic, patriarchal, colonial nature of the fashion industry and why this space continues to disadvantage Black and Brown students of fashion design.
Listen to this episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 6: Lubna Bin Zayyad: Representations in the media and decolonising Journalism
In this episode of the podcast our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Lubna Bin Zayyad, who recently graduated with a Masters in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Westminster. As well as playing a key role in the Pedagogies for Social Justice steering group and glossary, Lubna’s writing is mainly centred around deconstructing colonial and racist beliefs and representations in the media – in particular, on the areas of the Middle East and Islamic History. In this interview, we delve deeper into Lubna’s upbringing and experience of multi-raciality, on top of how she came to understanding her identity/positionality through media. Lubna then offers her thoughts on how we might begin to decolonise not only the media itself, but the way in which it is taught and understood in curricula.
Listen to this episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 7: Dibyesh Anand – Colonial rule in China, securitization and Decolonising International Relations
In this episode of the podcast our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Dibyesh Anand, a Professor of International Relations (IR) and the Head of the School of Social Sciences at Westminster. Dibyesh is widely recognised for his research on topics including politics and international relations of Tibetans under Chinese rule, Islamophobia in India, the politics of security and representation, the emergence of China and India as major non-Western powers, and the contested nature of nation-state formations in Asia. In this interview, we delve deeper into Dibyesh’s recent work on securitization and how it relates to the modern Chinese colonisation of Xinjiang and Tibet. We also discuss the ways in which IR is still a colonial discipline and how we might begin to decolonise the study on a pedagogical level.
Listen to this podcast – Transcript [PDF] – Read Dibyesh’s article
Episode 8: Olimpia Burchiellaro – LGBTQ studies, queer politics and coloniality
In this episode of the podcast our host Fatima Maatwk is joined by Olimpia Burchiellaro, a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Westminster. Some of her recent work focuses on issues of inclusion/exclusion and the transformative potential of queer activism. In this interview, we explore themes of identity, queerness, Eurocentrism and whiteness, as well as how we might begin to decolonise the IR canon and adopt decolonial/anti-racist pedagogies.
Listen to this episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 9: Tamara Reid – Inclusion, student partnership and decolonial work in higher education
In this episode of the podcast our host Fatima Maatwk is joined by Tamara Reid, Lead of the Inclusive Curriculum Consultants Programme at Kingston University, London. With a wealth of experience in stimulating student engagement, EDI work and partnership, Tamara sheds light on the complexities of these areas – particularly the tensions between decoloniality, anti-racism and inclusion. In terms of moving forward in our efforts towards decolonising higher education, we discuss how lecturers can help themselves to approach the topics of race and coloniality in educational spaces and more.
Listen to this episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 10: Mrinalini Greedharry: ‘The limits of literature as liberation’ and Decolonising English Literature curricula
In this episode of the podcast our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Mrinalini Greedharry, a Professor at Laurentian University in the land we now call Canada. Mrinalini’s research is largely anchored in English, developing to include interests in historical and organizational questions about English as an academic discipline. In this interview we delve deeper into Mrinalini’s upbringing, her experiences of teaching in Canada, Finland and the UK, her recent article, and how we might begin to decolonise English curricula.
Listen to episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 11: Raidat Suleiman: The “angry Black woman” stereotype, attacks on Critical Race Theory and decolonising Sociology
In this episode of the podcast our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Westminster alumni Raidat Suleiman. In this episode we delve into Raidat’s experience of growing up in London, how she came to understand matters of race, and how this led her to focus her dissertation on the experiences of young Black women dealing with stereotypes. As a graduate of Sociology, Raidat comments on the recent government attacks on Critical Race Theory and concepts such as ‘white privilege’, as well as the implications. Looking forward, Raidat proposes how we might begin to decolonise Sociology as a discipline and manage micro-aggressions in the classroom.
Listen to the episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 12: Catherine Charrett: Settler colonialism, sovereignty and decolonising International Relations
In this episode of the podcast our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Catherine Charrett, a lecturer in International Relations and Politics at the University of Westminster. Her research explores sovereignty in IR and Political Theory through indigenous and anti-colonial struggles, particularly in regards to the Palestinian liberation movement. In this interview we discuss settler colonialism and sovereignty, COVID-19, her recent paper on Palestine and how we might begin to decolonise International Relations as a academic discipline.
Listen to the episode – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 13: Moonisah Usman: Student partnership, anti-racist approaches to Biomedical research and decolonising the Life Sciences
In this episode of the podcast our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Moonisah Usman, a lecturer at the Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation at Westminster. Moonisah also has an academic background in the Life Sciences but generally has a strong commitment to Biomedical research, student partnership and supporting foundation learning. In this interview we discuss the ‘Students as Co-Creators’ program at Westminster, decolonial and anti-racist approaches to Biomedical research and how we might begin to decolonise the Life Sciences.
Listen to the podcast – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 14: Cheyenne Holborough: Creative writing as a tool for activism and decolonising English Literature
In this episode of the podcast our host Kyra Araneta is joined by Cheyenne Holborough, a third year student of Creative Writing and English Literature at Westminster. Cheyenne also plays an important role in the Pedagogies for Social Justice steering committee as well as a co-creator of the project’s glossary. In this interview, we discuss creative writing as a tool for activism, the School of Humanities New Writing Festival, her role as an EDI rep and how we might begin to decolonise English Lit and Creative Writing.
Listen to the podcast – Transcript [PDF]
Episode 15: Tamara Naouri: “All the spaces within counselling Psychology have been colonised”
In this episode of the podcast our host Fatima Maatwk is joined by Tamara Naouri, a Jordanian trainee counselling psychologist in the UK. In this episode, we discuss the summer of 2020 related to the Black Lives Matter movement, the unlawful killing of George Floyd, and the impact of these events on ethnic minorities in the workplace. Tamara offers insight into her educational journey, her sense of identity and how her upbringing has influenced her work and understanding today.