Call of the working group CO-TEACHING

Forum Decolonizing Academia of University of Cologne

Co-Teaching classes in 2024

In order to strengthen international collaboration in teaching in general and more specifically on topics related to decolonization and global justice, we would like to reach out to all those of you – lecturers, students and professors - who are interested in organizing a co-teaching seminar in one of the coming terms, esp. summer term 2024.

A co-taught course can have various formats. As part of the Forum, at the core is the idea to actively decolonize academic education by

• running a digital course for students from at least two locations across the North-South divide,
• together with a lecturer from the partner institution
• either addressing questions of decolonization directly or applying a decolonial approach or pedagogy.

Over the last three years, we have learned how rewarding these seminars are for students and lecturers in both the Global South and Cologne. Although lecturers and students also met challenges, joint learning across borders has many benefits and participants described it as extremely enriching. As we are a horizontally organized group and there is very limited institutional support by the university, to run a co-teaching course is up to your dedication and our collective support.

So far, we ran courses as lecturers. This often is a prerequisite to see the classes fit within the course outline of a specific programme. However, we would also like to encourage student-run initiatives – inviting lecturers or running autonomous seminars – they always existed!

Please let us know if you are planning or wish to run a course with a colleague located at a university in the Global South. If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. Also let us know if you would like to be included in the work of the Group (newsletter etc.)!

Contact: tilmann.heil@uni-koeln.de

Closing date: 5. December 2023

Assistant Professor Dr Shaimaa Ahmed Elsaghir Tawfik (German Studies, Sohag University Egypt) and Dr Stephan Milich (Languages and Cultures of the Islamicate World, UoC)
14514.0105: ""Blickwechsel: Vergleichende Perspektiven auf ägyptische und deutschsprachige Literatur" - online

https://klips2.uni-koeln.de/co/pl/ui/$ctx/wbLv.wbShowLVDetail?pStpSpNr=441733

Adjunct Professor Dr Ivan Lima Gomes (Modern and Contemporary/Latin American History, Universidade Federal de Goiás) and Dr. Janek Scholz (PBI, UoC)
14535.0539: "Interseccionalidades e a revisão do cânone gráfico: políticas da representação em quadrinhos brasileiros no século XXI
https://klips2.uni-koeln.de/co/pl/ui/$ctx;design=pl;header=max;lang=de/wbLv.wbShowLVDetail?pStpSpNr=444948

Call for Participation: "Decolonize Academia!" Lecture Series in the winter term 2022/23

The Forum Decolonizing Academia is planning a lecture series for the winter term 2022/2023 around the topic "Decolonize Academia! On Colonial Pasts and their Continuities in the UoC's Institutes, Structures and Subjects" (working title).

The weekly lecture series focuses on historical-critical reappraisals of colonial histories of various disciplines and institutes at the University of Cologne, and aims to represent the range of faculties. At the same time, it asks to what extent Eurocentric approaches and perspectives, but also racism as colonial heritage and further, intersectionally conceived forms of discrimination persist in academic structures, teaching and research. Different formats of teaching and learning, as well as their underlying understandings, e.g., about what is considered scientific, what content is elevated to the canon of a subject, and of how the acquired knowledge is to be applied in practice, are critically examined. This is followed by a consideration of ethical and science policy issues concerning the social role and responsibility of contemporary scientific practice. The lecture series also offers space for the presentation of experimental teaching and learning formats, best practices and visions of a decolonizing future of the university. A subsequent publication of the lectures is planned.

The Forum is currently seeking contributions from all disciplines. If you are interested in organizing a session, please send a message to smilich[at]uni-koeln.de.

Dr Alabi S. Aliyu (Department of History, Bayero University, Nigeria) and Sara Zavaree (Institute for African Studies and Egyptology, UoC):
14501.2017: "Postcolonial Thinkers"

https://klips2.uni-koeln.de/co/wbLv.wbShowLVDetail?pStpSpNr=370334&pSpracheNr=1

+++ Update: Due to the ongoing labor strike of Nigerian university personell, this course will not take place in co-teaching format but in regular format. We hope to contiunue the collaboration in the coming terms +++

Prof Dr León Enrique Ávila (Sustainable Development, Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas, Mexico) and PD Dr Sara Albiez-Wieck (Iberian and Latin American History, UoC):
14595.3502: “Desigualdades entrelazadas y (de)colonialidad” https://klips2.uni-koeln.de/co/wbLv.wbShowLVDetail?pStpSpNr=372195&pSpracheNr=1

Kira Schmidt (German Studies, University of the Western Cape, South Africa) and Cassandra Gerber (African Studies, UoC):
14501.2013: “International travel guides from a postcolonial perspective”
https://klips2.uni-koeln.de/co/wbLv.wbShowLVDetail?pStpSpNr=417545&pSpracheNr=1

Dr Adama Ousmanou (Department of History, University of Maroua, Cameroon) and Dr Jonathan Ngeh (Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, GSSC, UoC):
14506.6303: “Colonial Legacy, Break and Continuity in Postcolonial Africa“
https://klips2.uni-koeln.de/co/wbLv.wbShowLVDetail?pStpSpNr=374910&pSpracheNr=1

Dr Bassene Pape Chérif Bertrand (Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal) and Dr Fatou Cissé Kane (Institute for African Studies and Egyptology, UoC)

14501.2018: “Civilisation de l'universel and de-hegelisation of history“ https://klips2.uni-koeln.de/co/wbLv.wbShowLVDetail?pStpSpNr=417498&pSpracheNr=1

Dr Ramiro Segura (Anthropology, Universidad de la Plata, Argentinia) and Dr Tilmann Heil (Iberian and Latin American History, UoC)
14595.3504: “Antropología urbana desde el Sur (AS)”
https://klips2.uni-koeln.de/co/wbLv.wbShowLVDetail?pStpSpNr=372995&pSpracheNr=1

+++ The event will take place via Zoom. Registration via: https://uni-koeln.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpceqrpzkjGdO3QB_ugjF3I1l-4-1maBvq

In case you need help with the registration, please contact Cassandra Gerber, +++

We are continuing our co-teaching project next semester on decolonization with partner institutions in Africa and South America. The aim is to contribute to ongoing efforts to dismantle the interconnectedness of Western universities with persistent postcolonial inequalities in global knowledge production. Together with our partner institutions we conducted a pilot phase to explore the feasibility and potential of the project. The outcome was promising and laid the foundation for future co-teaching with our partners.

In preparation for the co-teaching in the coming semester, members of the working group will meet in February 2022 with colleagues from our partner universities for a workshop. The aim is to discuss practical issues and effective approaches to co-teaching and learning in the context of North-South partnership. We have invited external experts to facilitate the discussions on these topics. Witold Mucha will draw on his own experience to lead the discussion on practicality such as best digital practices, technical challenges and lessons learned from past experience. Hendrik den Ouden will facilitate discussions on effective approaches, and will focus on best co-teaching practices and methods, managing expectations and creating an environment that supports and values diversity.

The Workshop is being funded by the Competence Area IV – Cultures and Society in Transition of the University of Cologne.

...within an Interdisciplinary Colloquium at the University of Cologne

in English, via Zoom

+++ Please register with Milagros Pacco: paccoaimuni-koeln.de +++

An interdisciplinary group of students and lecturers at the University of Cologne has recently launched a co-teaching project with partner institutions from universities in Latin America and Africa. The aim of our project is to actively address continuing colonial injustices in global knowledge production and dissemination by exploring new teaching formats. Lecturers from the partner universities and Cologne co-teach classes in which students from both institutions participate. These classes address coloniality and decolonization either conceptually or practically, or both.

In the winter term 2021/22, a pilot phase with two co-taught seminars was initiated. To reflect upon the experiences made, at the report back event the following questions will be addressed: What are the objectives of the project? What are lessons learned? In which direction is the project evolving?

Partners: Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas, Mexico, Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe

Organizers: The Co-Teaching Working Group of the Forum Decolonizing Academia

Workshop „Racism in Latin America: Interdisciplinary and transnational perspectives"

in Spanish, via Zoom

+++ The Workshop is fully booked +++

Este taller digital de media jornada en español, coordinado por cuatro profesores -de la Universidad de Guadalajara, la Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas y la Universidad de Colonia- explorará algunas de las manifestaciones más urgentes del racismo en América Latina. Las reflexiones indígenas, la blanquitud, el racismo “científico” y la descolonización formarán parte de los debates con los estudiantes de las tres universidades. Las comparaciones entre diferentes marcos nacionales y épocas fomentarán reflexiones críticas para promover una sensibilidad transcultural.

•           Sarah Albiez-Wieck (UzK): Racismo: una perspectiva histórica

•           León Enrique Ávila (UNICH): Racismo ambiental

•           Tilmann Heil (UzK): Branquitud: cuestionando privilegio y normalización

•           Iker Javier Pulido Rodríguez (UdeG): Expresiones del racismo en México

Además de las presentaciones y un ejercicio interactivo debatiremos un texto que les será proporcionado previamente. Si quieren participar en el evento, favor de registrarse mandándole un mail a Ayu Requena Fuentes arequenasmail.uni-koeln.de antes del 20 de noviembre de 2021.

El taller tomará lugar el día jueves 25 de noviembre del 2021 de 9-12 tiempo mexicano/ 16-19 horas tiempo alemán.

Agradecemos el apoyo del proyecto UNITE de la Universidad de Colonia, financiado por el DAAD: https://zfl.uni-koeln.de/projekte/unite-cologne y se lleva a cabo en cooperación con el Foro “Decolonizing Academia” de la Universidad de Colonia.