Leading international scholars gathered in Ankara to examine the lasting impact of colonialism on universities, education systems, and global knowledge production during a major session at the World Decolonization Forum.
Hosted at the Ataturk Cultural Center, the forum explored how colonial legacies continue influencing political thought, academic institutions, and cultural structures around the world. The panel titled “The Problem of Knowledge Production: Decolonized Methodologies” brought together renowned thinkers and academics specializing in decolonial and postcolonial studies.
Among the featured speakers were Walter Mignolo, Salman Sayyid, Syed Farid Alatas, and American political scientist Anne Norton.
During the discussion, Norton argued that colonialism remains deeply embedded in modern society despite the collapse of traditional colonial administrations. She stated that colonial systems continue shaping daily life, institutions, and even personal thinking patterns through what she described as the “colonization of the mind.” Norton also criticized the influence of institutional capital within universities, particularly in the United States, claiming it helps preserve unequal global structures.
Sayyid emphasized that thousands of universities worldwide continue operating under Western institutional models. He argued that higher education must move beyond profit-driven systems and focus on producing knowledge as a public good rather than functioning merely as degree-producing institutions. According to him, cultural and social decolonization cannot be separated from reforms within universities.
Alatas warned that Eurocentric approaches to knowledge still reinforce modern forms of neocolonialism. He claimed Europe maintains intellectual, cultural, political, and military influence over much of the world, adding that critical thinking remains central to genuine decolonization efforts.
Mignolo explored the close relationship between colonialism and modernity, stressing that dewesternization and decolonization are fundamentally different concepts. He explained that dewesternization often appears through state-led political or economic strategies, while decolonization operates through education, social awareness, and intellectual transformation.
The scholar also argued that although traditional colonial empires have largely disappeared, systems of colonial power continue through financial institutions, military dominance, media influence, and global economic structures tied to the US dollar. He concluded by describing decolonization not as opposition to the West, but as a broader struggle for intellectual independence and cultural self-determination.
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