Leon Tikly: Transforming Knowledge and Research for Just and Sustainable Futures

Ataya: HUMA Interdisciplinary Seminar Series

Speaker: Leon Tikly, UNESCO Chair on Transforming Knowledge and Research for Just and Sustainable Futures

Paper ►

Bio: Leon is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and UNESCO Chair on Transforming Knowledge and Research for Just and Sustainable Futures at the University of Bristol. He has recently directed a UKRI-funded network plus on Transforming Education for Sustainable Futures with partners in India, Rwanda, Somalia/ Somaliland and South Africa (UKRI; £4.75 million; 2019-23). His scholarship over many years has focused on globalisation and education policy in the postcolonial world and on initiatives to improve the quality of education for disadvantaged learners, particularly in Africa. Between 2005-11 he directed a research programme consortium on Improving Education Quality in Low Income Countries (EdQual) (DfID; £2.5 million). He has also conducted a number of research projects and written extensively on issues of race, ethnicity and education in the UK and globally. More recently he has written at the intersection between decolonial scholarship and education for sustainable futures. His work is informed theoretically by critical realism, postcolonial and decolonial perspectives and is underpinned by a commitment to social, environmental and epistemic justice. interdisciplinary insights.

Topic: This paper considers what it means to transform knowledge and research for just and sustainable futures. It begins by outlining how we can conceive of knowledge and research in light of Achille Mbembe’s recent call for a ‘new planetary consciousness’ and principles of epistemic justice. The main argument is that just and sustainable futures require challenging existing knowledge hegemonies and hierarchies linked to the colonial legacy and embracing a pluriverse of knowledge systems and languages. In part two, the paper explores what it would mean to transform knowledge, research and education by creating new ecologies of knowledge and an expanded conception of the knowledge commons. Transforming research involves embracing transdisciplinarity and knowledge co-creation while transforming education involves efforts to decolonise and decarbonise education systems. The third part of the paper provides concrete examples of research to demonstrate the opportunities and challenges in implementing transdisciplinary approaches. The paper concludes by reflecting on the role of UNESCO in supporting the transformation of knowledge. It argues that UNESCO must focus on expanding knowledge commons, strengthening support for international collaboration in transdisciplinary research and advocating for a view of inclusive and good quality education that is in line with a new planetary consciousness.

How Ataya works: One presenter and their work – in exchange with the audience. Each Ataya session engages with selected work by the presenter (a text, artwork, performance, even food). The presenter introduces their work and grounds the subsequent discussion with the participants. For best engagement, we recommend participants to view the work (made available in advance on our website) before the session.