Reflecting on our Relationship with Environmental Knowledge and Integrating Indigenous and Decolonial Ecological Wisdom for Community-led Change
🗓 Date: Friday, 3 October 2025
🕒 Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm (Doors open at 9:00am)
📍 Location: Room 407, James McCune Smith Learning Hub
⏳ Flexible Attendance: Join for part or all of the session — all are welcome!
Free tickets, registration encouraged.
🌱 About the Event
Ecologies of Knowing is a student-staff partnership project exploring inclusive and decolonial, community-rooted approaches to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This first session brings together global voices to reflect on how we relate to knowledge, and how sustainability education can be reimagined through First Nations ecological wisdom, systems thinking, and inclusive local community engagement.
🎙️ Who are the speakers?
🔹 Prof. Kendi Guantai
University Dean for Culture and Inclusion, Lancaster University
Kendi brings deep expertise in equity, organisational culture, and inclusive communication. Her work spans academia and community leadership, including roles at ActionAid UK and Beyond Us & Them. She will share insights on reflecting on our relationship with knowledge and introducing inclusive, non-Eurocentric perspectives into learning and teaching about environmental sustainability.
🔹 Dr. Al Fricker
Associate Director, Teaching & Learning, Indigenous Studies, Deakin University
A Dja Dja Wurrung scholar and educator, Al is known for his decolonised pedagogical approach and commitment to embedding First Nations knowledge in education. He will introduce the audience to the concept of decolonising systems in environmental education.
🔹 Charlie Cobbinah
Doctoral Researcher, Wits Edinburgh Sustainable African Futures Programme
Charlie’s research explores the intersection of higher education, sustainability, and decolonial discourse in Africa. He will share fresh perspectives on decolonising Higher Education (HE) systems towards Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
💬 Why should I attend?
Whether you're a student, academic, or professional staff member, this event invites you to explore new ways of thinking about sustainability — and how we can co-create solutions with communities, not for them.
