African identity requires education transformation - Boaventura de ...

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From left: Dr Azwy Tshivhase (Director: DCLD), Prof Howard Richards (Research Professor of Philosophy,
Education and Peace and Global Studies at Earlham College (Richmond,Indiana), Prof Catherine Odora
Hoppers (SARChI Chair) and Prof Boaventura de Sousa Santos (Professor of Sociology at the School of
Economics, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
The Department of Curriculum and Learning Development (DCLD) and the South African Research Chair
Initiative (SARChI) presented a seminar on 6 July 2012. The seminar sought to advance Unisa’s agenda of
continued focus on the transformation of the curriculum.
In her introduction, Prof Catherine Odora Hoppers, SARChI Chair, said that her mandate is to bring
innovation and to enlarge the cognitive field of the university. “This seminar is part of my broader mandate
of introducing new thinking in the university,” she said, “so that the research can be more appropriate to
Africa.” She added that Unisa needed to transform its curriculum since the current version stems from the
West. “We are not saying replace Western knowledge with African knowledge; we are bringing a new kind
of thinking in teaching, research and community development,” she said. She mentioned that Unisa needs
to remember that it is in the service of humanity and not of markets. “This means that we, as Unisa, first
need to find out what humanity means.”
Two distinguished fellows of SARChI, Prof Boaventura de Sousa Santos, Professor of Sociology at the
School of Economics, University of Coimbra (Portugal), and Prof Howard Richards, Research Professor of
Philosophy, Education and Peace and Global Studies at Earlham College (Richmond,Indiana) shared their
thoughts on why the curriculum must be transformed. They also stated that the disciplines in the university
must be humanised by bringing in African epistemologies.
Prof De Sousa Santos said that universities need to expand the knowledge systems that they consider to
be valid in the curriculum and that are taught to their students. “Up until now the universities relied more on
Western modern knowledge, usually scientific knowledge.” He said that the Western systems are indeed
valid. “However, if I want go to the moon, I need scientific knowledge, but, if I want to defend the
biodiversity of Africa, I need local knowledge systems.” He added that universities need to be broader in
their teaching and research because there are many ways of life in society that they do not consider. “This
is because we always consider the needs of the market and not the needs of the communities,” he
concluded.
Prof Richards said that the current ideas that are dominant are not working and that universities need new
ideas. “In order to broaden current ideas, it is crucial for African epistemologies and traditional thinking in
general to transform the disciplines of the university.” He added that these disciplines have a particular
history and they are not the only possible way of looking at things. They fit in with a way of life, but they are
destined to disappear because of their incompatibility with the social sphere and their chronic inability to
solve social problems. “So, we have to think differently and outside the box and welcome other
epistemologies… this means that the subjugated knowledge and defeated epistemologies are necessary.
This means that other people are allowed to think their way, too – it is not only a matter of justice, but a way
of survival.”
Dr Azwy Tshivhase, Director: DCLD, said that it was interesting to see various perspectives of what the

curriculum should entail from various contexts, thanks to the distinguished fellows who provoked and
shared their ideas on transformation of the curriculum and knowledge production in modern universities.
In summation, Prof Hoppers said that it was interesting to share views on issues of why the curriculum must
be transformed from the North-South perspective, and how the disciplines in the university must be
humanised by bringing in African epistemologies.
Dr Tshivhase concluded by saying that further discussion amongst Unisa stakeholders will be one of the
major milestones towards achieving the university’s vision, towards the African university in the service of
humanity. “As such, discussions like this should be encouraged and sustained throughout the university
and also with various stakeholders,” he said.
*Written by Trevor Khanyile
20 July 2012 13:03 | Category: Corporate, Lead
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