Decolonising MLAC - Durham University

Decolonising MLAC Research Group

In 2020, at a time when issues of systemic racism and inequality came under renewed focus on a global scale, a research group - Decolonising Modern Languages & Cultures - was set up and led by postgraduate students within our School. Their aim was to take a critical approach to decolonisation within the institution and to provide a forum for reflection and meaningful change. The group organised a highly successful series of events, including a reading group and a speaker series, inviting academic thinkers as well as cultural practitioners to lead and exchange thoughts on decolonisation. These events were well attended by undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as staff, and offered new spaces for cross-School dialogue. With a focus on material change, the group worked closely with members of staff focused on decolonisation within the School, who provided mentorship and support. Together students and staff put together a set of proposals for institutional change, including a paper on the decolonising the curriculum as phenomenological practice, and various strategies for addressing structural inequalities.

Modern Languages & Cultures is well positioned as a research hub to scrutinise themes of cultural difference and structural inequality, and the grassroots activities that took place during this time led the way for the University’s wider reflections and ongoing practices in decolonisation.