Re-Imagining a Decolonial University: The Focus of Doctoral Study

Dr Zamokuhle Wiseman Magubane received his PhD in Curriculum Studies with a thesis titled: ‘Re-imagining a Decolonial University? Exploring the Voices of Black Academics in the Struggle for Transformation in a South African Higher Education Institution’.

Magubane says his research and thesis contribute to the South African Higher Education transformation discourse. The decolonial analytical frameworks that informed his research were the key performance areas of an academic, namely teaching and learning, research and epistemic community engagement.

Magubane’s study recommends a social justice framework for re-imagining a decolonial university, supported by his findings which reveal that Black academics find and see themselves as structurally marginalised from the institutional cultures, practices and norms of the academy because of their intersecting characteristics which encompass identity, race, ethnicity, age, gender and background. Therefore, the study recommends a social justice framework as a forward path to realising transformed societies and decolonial Higher Education Institutions in the global south.

“My study is unique as it attempts a shift in thinking about practical efforts aimed at transforming the Higher Education sector and helping university management formulate specific targeted policies that respond to the transformation and decolonial concerns raised by Black academics. It also holds the potential to assist the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to conceptualise transformation measures across the different public Higher Education Institutions in the country,” said Magubane.

“PhD journeys are never the same, they are as unique as the individual candidate who embarks on the PhD path,” said Magubane. “I found refuge in the delicate area of curriculum decolonisation and Higher Education transformation, an interest sparked from my intrigue and fascination with the 2015-2016 #FeesMustFall student movement.”

Through his research, Magubane set off to unearth the silent struggles of Black academics within South African Higher Education Institutions and suggest practical theories which challenge existing traditions/paradigms.

He was successful in securing a National Research Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship to complete his PhD, a triumph he is extremely proud of. “The scholarship provided me with instrumental social support and financial freedom as a young unemployed graduate. I was also successful in receiving the prestigious US-South Africa Racial Justice Fellowship. The fellowship and scholarship opportunities not only bolstered my doctoral experience but also the development of my Higher Education academic trajectory as I travelled nationally and internationally, fostering research networks, identifying mentors, and honing critical thinking and research writing skills at seminars and conferences.”

Magubane says his academic journey had its fair share of challenging episodes alongside the moments of triumph. One of the guiding lights on his journey was his first supervisor, Professor Mlamuli Hlatshwayo. “I consider him an intellectual giant and a walking library. He was my support system, role model and motivator. I am eternally indebted to him and express my sincere gratitude to him.”

On the flipside, he said: “My doctoral knowledge production journey entailed ‘shutting the door’ to friends and family, making it quite a solitary time. I encountered academic challenges too and faced compounded difficulties of miscomprehension, writing anxiety, contemplative stuck-ness, stress, self-doubt and imposter feelings. A supervisor change also compounded my worries.”

However, he persevered. “I refused to yield to the art of quitting and reminded myself that I cannot be denied the ambitions of my youth, let alone be deterred from realising my potential through education, and that the legacy I endeavoured to leave behind demanded perseverance and not giving in to defeat.”

He clung tightly to the common ‘no pain, no gain’ adage and worked harder. “I considered ditching the PhD pursuit, but I snatched it through taking a chance with perseverance. Thanks to myself for not giving up, I am now a proud PhD graduate.”

Magubane is currently a lecturer in Curriculum and Education Studies at UKZN and aspires to publish his research widely, building his academic career.

Words: Jennene Naidu

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini