The Other Emancipation: Decolonization of Knowledge and Academic Freedom in Latin America

The decolonization of knowledge in Latin America refers to the process of questioning and transforming the epistemological paradigms imposed by European colonization and which, to date, continue to influence the structures of knowledge, research, and education. Throughout history, educational systems in Latin America have reproduced Western models that not only ignore, but also devalue ancestral, local and popular knowledge. This project seeks to explore the "other emancipation," a concept that refers to academic and cultural liberation from colonial ways of thinking, focusing on how academic institutions in the region are navigating this process. The concept of academic freedom, in turn, is central, since it is in academia that knowledge and critical reflections are forged that can foster a broader process of decolonization.

Objectives

-To analyze how the decolonization of knowledge manifests itself in educational and academic institutions in Latin America.

-Investigate the relationship between academic freedom and the ability of institutions to promote non-Western knowledge.

-To evaluate the main challenges and resistances faced by the decolonization of knowledge in the Latin American context.

-To propose strategies to strengthen the process of decolonization of knowledge in higher education and in academic practices.

Academic knowledge in Latin America has historically been influenced by colonial frameworks that have marginalized local and non-European knowledge. Despite recent efforts to decolonize knowledge, there are tensions between institutions that promote academic freedom and those that perpetuate colonial epistemologies. This project will investigate how these tensions affect the emancipation of thought in the region and what strategies are underway or could be implemented to achieve a true decolonization of knowledge.