Decolonising the physical sciences
We are in the early stages of exploring decolonising the curriculum in our learning and teaching in the School. The term decolonising the curriculum can be used in a variety of ways. To us, this means the process of critically evaluating:
- Who gets to do science, now and historically
- Which contributions are recognised and which are overlooked
- How societal structures and norms contribute to persistent inequalities
as well as adapting our learning and teaching where possible to reflect the outcomes of this process. We recognise that this is not a quick task and we are by no means experts. Advance HE's Anti-Racist Curriculum Project provides some excellent resources for getting started in this area: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/anti-racist-curriculum-project.
Our own first steps have been to work together with honours students through literature projects, one example of a student report "Colonialism and Science" is available. Slides for a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) lunchtime talk with Dr Sam Skipsey on "DecolonisingPhysics" are available too.
We will update this webpage with more information as our work develops, and are keen to work together with others across the University and outside where possible. Staff and students in the School interested in the area are encouraged to contact Sam Skipsey (samuel.skipsey@glasgow.ac.uk).