Decolonising Philosophy, Education, and Design
What does it really mean to decolonise education, beyond adding African content to existing curricula?
In From Colonialism to African Futures , I reflect on how colonial legacies continue to shape philosophy, schooling, and design education in subtle but powerful ways. Drawing on lived experience, African philosophy, and design pedagogy, the paper argues that decolonisation is not only about inclusion, but about changing method . How we teach. How we evaluate knowledge. How legitimacy is quietly produced.
The paper moves from personal narrative to institutional critique, engaging thinkers such as Kwasi Wiredu and Frantz Fanon, while grounding the discussion in concrete examples from African education systems and contemporary design studios. It asks a simple but uncomfortable question: what happens when African thought is treated as decoration rather than a way of reasoning?
This paper was presented at the African Studies Global Virtual Forum (2025–26) and is part of an ongoing body of work on decolonial design education and African futures.
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