Tinaani
Nyabereka
Nyabereka
GWERU – Western knowledge is now exhausted but remains
useful for academic researches, a development which requires African
universities to produce new knowledge, a University of South Africa (Unisa)
lecturer has said.
useful for academic researches, a development which requires African
universities to produce new knowledge, a University of South Africa (Unisa)
lecturer has said.
Delivering
his address at the Joshua Nkomo Academic Lecture at Midlands State University
(MSU) last week, Professor Sabelo Gatsheni Ndlovu said the problem with the university
in Africa could be found in Eurocentricism as people tend to conform to the global
geography of knowledge.
his address at the Joshua Nkomo Academic Lecture at Midlands State University
(MSU) last week, Professor Sabelo Gatsheni Ndlovu said the problem with the university
in Africa could be found in Eurocentricism as people tend to conform to the global
geography of knowledge.
“We
need to do away with gathering data and taking it to the Western side for processing
into theories. We need to focus on producing knowledge in the circles of the
living as Africans.
need to do away with gathering data and taking it to the Western side for processing
into theories. We need to focus on producing knowledge in the circles of the
living as Africans.
“Western
knowledge is exhausted but still useful. Why is it that we have the highest
literacy rate but we are not able to produce anything? To understand all this,
we must go back to the African consciousness as quickly as possible. We have
universities in Africa but are they universities of Africa. Let’s grow and link
our universities in the continent, then the region and afterwards, we go to
Europe,” Ndlovu, an acclaimed decolonial scholar.
knowledge is exhausted but still useful. Why is it that we have the highest
literacy rate but we are not able to produce anything? To understand all this,
we must go back to the African consciousness as quickly as possible. We have
universities in Africa but are they universities of Africa. Let’s grow and link
our universities in the continent, then the region and afterwards, we go to
Europe,” Ndlovu, an acclaimed decolonial scholar.
Ndlovu
said Africa was still concentrated on the colonised aspect of universities
instead of ‘corporatized’ universities.
said Africa was still concentrated on the colonised aspect of universities
instead of ‘corporatized’ universities.
“More
talk is focused on colonised universities and not the corporatized ones. We
need to be known regional and internationally. We now have love for diplomas,
degrees rather than knowledge because focus has shifted to certificates and
graduating. It is only knowledge which can drive us as a nation not
certificates. Shifting from education 3.0 to 5.0 is a noble move and we need to
put value to it,” he said.
talk is focused on colonised universities and not the corporatized ones. We
need to be known regional and internationally. We now have love for diplomas,
degrees rather than knowledge because focus has shifted to certificates and
graduating. It is only knowledge which can drive us as a nation not
certificates. Shifting from education 3.0 to 5.0 is a noble move and we need to
put value to it,” he said.
The
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Professor Amon Murwira said the
university in Africa was supposed to give solutions to the challenges in Africa.
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Professor Amon Murwira said the
university in Africa was supposed to give solutions to the challenges in Africa.
“The
legacy of Dr Nkomo can only be liberated by liberated minds. Let’s create an
environment where things develop from our heritage, let’s move from the
colonial approach to having the degree in the head. That is the idea,” said
Murwira.
legacy of Dr Nkomo can only be liberated by liberated minds. Let’s create an
environment where things develop from our heritage, let’s move from the
colonial approach to having the degree in the head. That is the idea,” said
Murwira.