Beyond the Western Lens: Pathways to Decolonising Higher Education
Helsinki, 24–25 September 2026 | The conference is organised in full hybrid format
We invite researchers, teaching staff, professional staff, doctoral researchers, Bachelor’s and Master’s students and practitioners to contribute to the conference program. The presenters and the audience can participate in person at the conference’s location at the University of Helsinki or online.
Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Decolonising What—and From What?: Critical analyses of colonial legacies in higher education knowledge production, governance, curricula, and institutional practices.
- Pluriversality, Unlearning, Delinking, and Alternatives: Theoretical and empirical explorations of how multiple ways of knowing and being can coexist, how colonial legacies can be unlearned, and how alternative academic imaginaries can be fostered.
- Curricula, Pedagogy, Community, and Institutional Transformation: Decolonial approaches to teaching, learning, assessment, university structures, and inclusive community building.
- Quality, Access, and Human Rights: Comparative perspectives on higher education as a public good, including tuition-free versus fee-based models and differing understandings of education, access, and equity.
- From Reflection to Action: Best pratices: Practice-based contributions highlighting concrete tools, best practices, and strategies for advancing decolonial inclusion across academia.
For Panel, Roundtables and Workshop proposals:
- Abstract of the panel, roundtable or workshop: 500-700 words, explaining the cohesiveness of the speakers
- List of participants with titles of their presentations
- Biographies of participants
- Clear indication of chair, moderator and discussant.
- Deadline for submission: Submit your proposal by 15 May.
