Teacher(s)
Language
English
Main themes
The theme of the seminar changes each year and is chosen for its relevance to research training within the Doctoral School of Philosophy.
Content
Decoloniality in the Social Sciences and Humanities: a Pending Challenge
Doctoral Seminar directed by Dr Marco Ambrosi de la Cadena, FSR Postdoctoral FellowOver the past few decades, the social sciences and humanities have increasingly engaged with the so-called decolonial turn, understood as an epistemic stance that critically challenges the Western tradition and its values, especially those related to power, gender, race, reason, and univocity. The goal is to understand coloniality as a form of domination through patriarchy, racism, sexism, and classism, known as a ‘colonial horizon’ that influences every aspect of life and society. Drawing from the critical tradition, Indigenous epistemologies, and the experiences of social movements, decolonial thought challenges the idea of a ‘universal paradigm’ that shapes existence, sociability, and knowledge creation. Such a turn requires a commitment to include alternative paradigms that affirm the legitimacy of multiple ways of thinking and being, promoting inclusion, diversity, and interdisciplinarity. This seminar adopts a workshop methodology to discuss and share experiences on applying decolonial methodologies for conducting research and practicing science differently by integrating knowledge, methods, and values rooted in diverse cosmologies and intellectual traditions.
Confirmed Speakers
- Prof. Adrian Masters (University of Trier)
- Prof. Rolando Vázquez Melken (University of Amsterdam)
- Prof. Dounia Bourabain (Hasselt University)
- Prof. Marie Deridder (UCLouvain)
- Promoting the inclusion of a decolonial approach in doctoral research in social sciences and humanities.
- Discussing inter and transdisciplinarity in social sciences and humanities.
- Knowing and applying decolonial methodologies to social sciences and humanities.
- PhD students enrolled at UCLouvain or in any Belgian doctoral programme can validate this seminar for a total of 6 ECTS credits. Interested Master students are welcome also and can credit the seminar as part of their optional courses (tbc by your Faculty).
Teaching methods
The seminar is structured as a workshop series, comprising five sessions scheduled from February to June 2026; the specific dates are yet to be determined. Each session will showcase ongoing academic experiences from various fields, emphasizing practices that foster a decolonial approach in defining research objects, designing and implementing methodologies, analyzing data, and presenting findings.
Each session begins with a 60-minute presentation by the invited speaker, who will share insights, proposals, and experiences related to the application of decolonial methodologies in their research within social sciences and humanities.
Following the presentation, a discussion will be held between the speaker and participants, providing an opportunity to raise questions about the decolonial approach and exchange potential research ideas.
A final session will be held to share the proposals between the participants and exchange comments and suggestions.
Each session begins with a 60-minute presentation by the invited speaker, who will share insights, proposals, and experiences related to the application of decolonial methodologies in their research within social sciences and humanities.
Following the presentation, a discussion will be held between the speaker and participants, providing an opportunity to raise questions about the decolonial approach and exchange potential research ideas.
A final session will be held to share the proposals between the participants and exchange comments and suggestions.
Evaluation methods
After the four sessions, each participant is expected to submit a short proposal (500 words) outlining how the decolonial approach could be applied to their own research project or used in selecting a research topic. These proposals will be shared with the four guest speakers, who will provide brief feedback on each submission.
Other information
See the Séminaires de 3e cycle ISP webpage for the precise timetable and updates
Faculty or entity