Decolonising the Microbiology Curricula at the University of Glasgow (original) (raw)

Sherry, Leighann ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0493-6135(2024) Decolonising the Microbiology Curricula at the University of Glasgow. Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2024, Edinburgh, UK, 08-11 Apr 2024.

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Abstract

Movements such as the Rhodes Must Fall and Black Lives Matter have highlighted the need for ‘decolonising the curriculum’ efforts in academia. Decolonising the curriculum seeks to acknowledge and dismantle the way that imperialism and colonialism have shaped education, with a focus on inclusion and visibility of a wider range of viewpoints which have been historically excluded. To create awareness of the decolonising the curriculum movement and increase the diversity of content and recommended reading, teaching material was developed by final year project students, in the form of a workshop, and delivered to undergraduate students undertaking Life Sciences courses. Within science, there are clear links between knowledge progression and the exploitation of historically marginalised groups, with various key discoveries made to the detriment of people of colour. Examples including the Tuskegee Syphilis Study that investigated the progression of the disease and Koch’s medical concentration camps in East Africa to treat trypanosomiasis, can be used to discuss where knowledge comes from, how it is derived and disseminated. These workshops acted as an introduction to the movement, focusing on contextualising the material linked to existing topics within infection biology, through group discussions and case studies. Throughout the workshop, students were receptive to and engaged with the subject material, taking active roles in group discussions. With ever-growing pressures to address issues of inequality and colonial histories, universities in the UK are slowly beginning to work with students to act. Our work showcases the relevance and scope of these issues within Life Sciences subjects.

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