20 research outputs found
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(Un)subjugating indigenous knowledge for sustainable development: considerations for community-based research in African higher education
The most recent incarnation of development goals, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), call for a more intentional integration of higher education in development. Research can provide an avenue by which this done, developing relevant solutions to social problems. But who benefits from research, and whose knowledge counts in this process? Formal engagement with Indigenous knowledge, honoring the voices, artifacts, histories, traditions, and knowledges of those Indigenous communities that buttress the university can potentially contribute to both the social and environmental justice at the heart of sustainable development. Our research was focused on how African academics at two public universities and community members in The Gambia and Zambia constructed the role of Indigenous knowledge within their community-based research activities. We highlight the specific epistemic strategies academic researchers used to engage Indigenous communities and knowledge, the dilemmas faced in the field, and the connections made through research relationships to sustainable development
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Special issue introduction: exploring the role of Indigenous knowledge in postsecondary policies and practices toward sustainable development
This article serves as the introduction to the Special Issue on "Exploring the Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Postsecondary Policies and Practices Toward Sustainable Development." We begin by outlining sustainable development and the role of higher education in addressing sustainable development goals. We critique the epistemological assumptions that underlie sustainable development and that have led to its capture by Western development and science. We consider the importance of incorporating an Indigenous knowledge and practices into higher education in order to solve pressing social and environmental challenges. Finally, we discuss the reasoning for 8 this issue and set forth a series of arguments for choosing an open access journal as an appropriate modality for this inquiry
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UK higher education sector's response to the war in Ukraine
Purpose: This article aims to address the response from the higher education (HE) sector in the United Kingdom (UK) to the full-scale war in Ukraine which started in 2022.
Design/methodology/approach: Relying on theoretical ideas of neoliberalism and the collection and thematic analysis of relevant official communications from six UK universities, the article uncovers three major ways in which these universities have been responding to the war.
Findings: They include (1) altruistic responses, (2) the promotion of equal treatment of all people and (3) the condemnation of the invasion and its implications for UKâs international cooperation in HE. These responses suggest the strengthening of the liberal ideals in the UK HE sector, heavily dominated by marketisation.
Originality/value: This analysis is significant not only for advancing a very limited scholarship on the topic of HE in the context of this war but also for understanding the development of the neoliberal landscape of UK HE and neoliberalism as a phenomenon in times of crises
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The orchestration of a sustainable development agenda in the European Higher Education Area
Purpose: This article asks how the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has orchestrated a sustainable development (SD) agenda in its international policy since 2020.
Design/methodology/approach: By drawing on theoretical ideas around policy orchestration as a key UN governing strategy and applying them to the analysis of the progression of the SD agenda in the EHEA, the article conducts a thematic analysis of six recent key EHEA international policy documents and 19 interviews with key Bologna stakeholders in France, Germany and Italy.
Findings: The resultant analysis uncovers three overarching key themes that show: (1) the EHEA has the capacity to mitigate pitfalls in the UNâs SD agenda; (2) some weaknesses of the UNâs orchestration of SD are translated into weaknesses in the EHEAâs formulation of its SD agenda; and (3) the further development of an SD agenda as an essential direction of EHEAâs work. The article then goes on to discuss how EHEA policies only mention SD discourse, omit concrete plans for its implementation, and keep the very meaning of SD ambiguous throughout international policy documents.
Originality: We offer three original recommendations that the EHEA should adopt in an attempt to mitigate the issues raised in the run-up to its 2030 deadline for implementing its policies: the EHEA should develop an explicit definition of SD; recognise the Euro-centredness of EHEA policies and open them up to other voices; and cite academic research when developing policy documents
Modelling control of Schistosoma haematobium infection: predictions of the long-term impact of mass drug administration in Africa
Knowledge of Bovine Tuberculosis, Cattle Husbandry and Dairy Practices amongst Pastoralists and Small-Scale Dairy Farmers in Cameroon
BACKGROUND:Control of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and zoonotic tuberculosis (zTB) has relied upon surveillance and slaughter of infected cattle, milk pasteurisation and public health education. In Cameroon, like many other sub-Saharan African countries, there is limited understanding of current cattle husbandry or milk processing practices or livestock keepers awareness of bTB. This paper describes husbandry and milk processing practices within different Cameroonian cattle keeping communities and bTB awareness in comparison to other infectious diseases. STUDY DESIGN:A population based cross-sectional sample of herdsmen and a questionnaire were used to gather data from pastoralists and dairy farmers in the North West Region and Vina Division of Cameroon. RESULTS:Pastoralists were predominately male Fulanis who had kept cattle for over a decade. Dairy farmers were non-Fulani and nearly half were female. Pastoralists went on transhumance with their cattle and came into contact with other herds and potential wildlife reservoirs of bTB. Dairy farmers housed their cattle and had little contact with other herds or wildlife. Pastoralists were aware of bTB and other infectious diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and fasciolosis. These pastoralists were also able to identify clinical signs of these diseases. A similar proportion of dairy farmers were aware of bTB but fewer were aware of foot-and-mouth and fasciolosis. In general, dairy farmers were unable to identify any clinical signs for any of these diseases. Importantly most pastoralists and dairy farmers were unaware that bTB could be transmitted to people by consuming milk. CONCLUSIONS:Current cattle husbandry practices make the control of bTB in cattle challenging especially in mobile pastoralist herds. Routine test and slaughter control in dairy herds would be tractable but would have profound impact on dairy farmer livelihoods. Prevention of transmission in milk offers the best approach for human risk mitigation in Cameroon but requires strategies that improved risk awareness amongst producers and consumers
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Towards a critical pedagogy of place for environmental conservation
This paper considered the changes in education that are needed in response to the rapidly deteriorating state of the Earthâs environment. We argued that such changes should be focussed on developing an effective education that equips inhabitants of the Earth to understand their environment towards contributing to its conservation, especially with respect to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This is crucial because previously colonised people and their environments are marginalised in their Eurocentric education systems. To escape ethnocentricity, education should be transformed using a polycentric approach that legitimises all knowledge systems and places. Therefore, this study employed a qualitative approach to explore teachersâ perceptions of the extent to which their education system is based on local knowledge and places, and how the concept of place might be engaged as the foundation for learning. A selection of teachers participated in the study, which employed in-depth interviews. Factors that contributed to the place-detachment of participantsâ practice were analysed, along with a discussion of educational reform ideas that included place-based approaches and indigenous methods. The correlation between these ideas and a critical pedagogy of place has implications for environmental conservation in local and global contexts
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How can "community voices" from qualitative research illuminate our understanding of the implementation of the SDGs? A scoping review
In 2015, the United Nations committed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to drive global development policy and practice. Six years into the implementation of the 15-year agenda, the SDGs are subject to extensive monitoring and research at the national, regional, and global levels using quantitative data sets. In contrast, this scoping review considered the contribution of qualitative research studies published in 2021, utilizing data collected from local, place-based community participants. Qualitative research with community participants connects global policy with place-based experience, thus potentially offering a valuable perspective on SDG implementation. Searches were carried out using the Scopus database to identify studies that explicitly linked their aims and objectives to the SDGs. Fifty-four papers met the criteria for inclusion in the review and were charted, mapped, and analysed. For the majority of studies, data collection was carried out in lower-middle income and low-income countries. The âvoicesâ of community participants highlight tensions and challenges affecting the implementation of the SDGs. Reviewing this body of research as a whole identified opportunities to strengthen future qualitative research that will further illuminate progress towards the SDG
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Engaging local youths in humanitarian response is not a matter of if but how
Despite being critical responders in humanitarian crises, local youths are continually left out of the humanitarian action agenda. This paper used a qualitative methodology to investigate local youthsâ role in humanitarian response and their impacts and assessed how humanitarian actors influence the effectiveness of youth engagement. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with local youths who participated in the Ebola response in Sierra Leone. Findings showed that young people are significantly contributing to crises response. However, they lack an enabling environment and support system to convert their skills into valuable humanitarian resources efficiently. Therefore, despite the rhetoric that many reports and policies reflect, this study establishes that the realities of youth engagement in humanitarian activities are often misunderstood and controlled for the self-interest of different actors other than youths themselves. It advocates for a renewed focus and support for young peopleâs skills as paramount for effective humanitarian response and building back resilient communities after emergencies. Besides, engaging local youths in tackling crises empowers them with transferable skills and stimulates their passion for participating in development issues within their communities