Sociomusicology: Decolonisation of Academia

10/23/23

Decolonisation of Academia

There will soon be a public event at University of Bergen called Decolonisation of Academia. I am one of the invited speakers for it, and look forward to the discussion. It is hosted by SAIH, the Norwegian Students' and Academics' International Assistance Fund. Below is an announcement about the event from SAIH-Bergen:

Decolonization is an important topic within the field of academic freedom. Within academia decolonization can be discussed in relevance to curriculum, scientific methods and university culture. Questions such as : ‘’What is valuable knowledge?’’ or ‘’What is valid research?’’ can make us reflect upon old colonial influence and how it is constraining science and corrupting power relations within academia. Approaching this topic from both international and Norwegian perspectives will help in understanding the recent efforts and discoveries in achieving decolonization. At its core, decolonization within academia aims to restructure power systems which do not support adequate development of research and by extension, society.

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In this panel discussion we have the following panelists:

- Anwesha Dutta, PI of an NFR (NORGLOBAL) project, "Prioritising the Displacement-Environment Nexus: Refugee and IDP Settlements as Social- Ecological Systems."

- Carmeliza Soares da Costa Rosário, postdoctoral researcher at Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) and a Development and Social Anthropologist.

- Lise Rakner, PI of Norhed: epistemologies Decolonizing Epistemologies: Disciplines and the University in Relation to the Society and the World (NORHED II).

- Wesley Maraire, a guest researcher and affiliate at the Centre on Law & Social Transformation: CMI (University of Bergen).

- David Gabriel Hebert, who has contributed to the fields of comparative education and East Asian Studies.

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The panel will be moderated by Morgan Alangeh.

Location: Ulriken Aula, Ulrikes Pihls Hus, Professor Keysers gate 1, 5007 Bergen

This event is part of Internasjonale Uke.

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Here are some recent publications that have aimed to decolonize approaches to philosophy of education as well as both teaching and research activity in music history, music education, and music performance studies in higher education:

Theory and Method in Historical Ethnomusicology (2014, Rowman & Littlefield)
Music Glocalization: Heritage and Innovation in a Digital Age (2018, Cambridge Scholars)
World Music Pedagogy VII: Teaching World Music in Higher Education (Routledge, 2021)
Ethnomusicology and Cultural Diplomacy (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022)
Comparative and Decolonial Studies in Philosophy of Education (Springer, 2023)
Shared Listenings: Methods for Transcultural Musicianship and Research (Cambridge University Press, 2023).

Some of my recent projects have introduced principles of decolonization through international cooperation:

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Welcome to Sociomusicology

For over 15 years (since 2007), this website has offered musings on contemporary society and its music by David G. Hebert, PhD. He is a sociomusicologist specializing in global music education who has held academic positions with universities on five continents. Dr. Hebert is now a tenured full Professor with Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen. There he leads the Grieg Academy Music Education (GAME) research group and manages the multinational government-funded Nordic Network for Music Education, which organizes annual intensive Master courses and exchange of teachers and students across eight countries. He is also an Affiliated Professor with University of the Faroe Islands and an Honorary Professor in China with the Education University of Hong Kong.

Professor Hebert's research applies an international-comparative perspective to issues of pluralism, identity, and cultural relevance in music education, as well as processes by which new music traditions emerge and change - both sonically and socially - as they are adopted into institutions. Born in the 1970s, he is among the most widely-published and globally-active music scholars of his generation (h-index:20; i10-index:30), with professional activities in an average of 8 countries per year across the past decade (2008-2020).