Decolonizing Practices and Institutional Settings

Research collaborations between the Global North and the Global South – known as North-South* collaborations – are vital as a mechanism for linking different types of knowledge and expertise, and channelling them into novel ideas or pathways of research. Over the past three decades, North-South collaborations have evolved to incorporate a more diverse set of partners and collaboration processes (Carbonnier & Kontinen, 2015a; Dannecker, 2022; Farnworth et al., 2020; Karrer et al., 2023; Andriamihaja, 2023; and Perrotta & Alonso, 2020a). As nations pool their talent and resources to address global challenges that no country can tackle alone, these collaborations have either helped or shown a potential to help increase the impact of individual researcher initiatives, as well as the institutions that host them (Flint et al., 2022; Gleiberman, 2021; Kotze & Dymitrow, 2022; Larkan et al., 2016a; Rakotonarivo & Andriamihaja, 2023). They are becoming more and more indispensable in efforts to generate evidence and produce excellent scientific research.

Alongside their growing value, North-South collaborations have been tainted by tough challenges. A pattern of skewed allocation of resources, as well as unequal authority to set agendas and execute them, have brought to light imbalances in knowledge and power which stand in the way of sustainable, effective collaborations (Flint et al., 2022; Gleiberman, 2021; Larkan et al., 2016a; Rakotonarivo & Andriamihaja, 2023). It is reasonable to suggest that these challenges recall a history of colonization, now reflected in the research and development ‘partnership’ ecosystem as a dynamic where Southern collaborators are often reduced to data collectors rather than co-creators. This has real and well-documented consequences that include receiving hardly any valid or meaningful acknowledgment, adequate operational funds, or invitations to propose new programmes and implementation activities (Cochrane, 2021; Dannecker, 2022; Farnworth et al., 2020; Karrer et al., 2023; Perrotta & Alonso, 2020a).

Despite decades of decolonization initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the progress that has been made towards achieving political and economic independence has yet to extend to academia, or to non-academic research and practice relevant to development cooperation (Abouzeid et al., 2022; Flint et al., 2022; Larkan et al., 2016a; Andriamihaja, 2023; Schmidt & Neuburger, 2017). It was more than 50 years ago, in 1969, when the landmark Pearson Report suggested restructuring the donor-recipient relationship to create a novel partnership model – one that would be based on an informal, shared understanding of rights and obligations on the part of both donors and funding recipients (The Pearson Report: A New Strategy for Global Development - UNESCO Digital Library, n.d.). Today, the notion of partnership in North-South research collaborations is the backbone of international development cooperation (Carbonnier & Kontinen, 2015a; Flint et al., 2022; Kotze & Dymitrow, 2022; Perrotta & Alonso, 2020b; Rakotonarivo & Andriamihaja, 2023; United Nations, 2015). It fulfils a requirement for functionality by improving aid effectiveness, and for solidarity as a desirable feature of global linkages (Carbonnier & Kontinen, 2015a; Flint et al., 2022; Pallitt et al., 2023; Perrotta & Alonso, 2020b). But colonization continues to pose significant challenges, creating complications for North-South research collaborators. For instance, when issues come up – such as power imbalances or a perceived lack of respect – and get raised so that project partners can acknowledge and rectify them, collaboration then becomes strained and awkward. In turn, this can lead to project delays, or even early termination in some cases.

The friction in unequal research partnerships has led to new guidelines, frameworks, and concepts for decolonizing North-South research collaborations. Seminal works by influential thinkers have denounced “colonized” research protocols; called for reform of working processes; and highlighted power imbalances in how funding and knowledge are distributed within North-South partnerships, which need to be tackled in institutional settings (Abouzeid et al., 2022; Farnworth et al., 2020; Gaillard, 1994; Saric et al., 2019; Voller et al., 2022). Even so, a closer look at North-South research collaborations that would appear to be “decolonized” can still reveal notable imbalances in processes and practices, power dynamics and motivations (Chasi, 2023; Mezzadra, 2020; Rakotonarivo & Andriamihaja, 2023).

In this report, we offer recommendations to guide the process of decolonizing how North-South research collaborations are conducted, and how institutions approach power dynamics, motivations, and practices. These recommendations are based on a review of past and ongoing North-South collaborations, detailed in the Section A, which examines their key features, what worked, and the challenges they faced. The institutional context, and how it enables or discourages decolonized procedures, was also considered. As part of the review, we also identify strategies that practitioners employed to mitigate the impact challenges may have on the knowledge created, and on equity within the partnership.

The results of this work went on to inform a consultation on developing practical tools for decolonizing North-South research collaborations, which is detailed in Section B. The consultation process included stakeholders from higher education, industry, and research. Based on insights gained from Section A, it shows how the practices and trends sourced from the literature can be applied to create a usable resource. It also presents the results as a practical toolkit that can help institutions and researchers to formalize decolonized practices in North-South research collaborations. This toolkit represents a concrete application of the study's findings, incorporating the practical strategies, practices, and themes identified in the literature.

*The review adopts a definition provided by Boaventura de Sousa Santos in the seminal article ‘Epistemologies of the South’, published in 2018. According to Santos, North-South disparities “concern the production and validation of knowledges anchored in the experiences of resistance of all those social groups that have systematically suffered injustice, oppression, and destruction caused by capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy”.

The insights provided on this website result from a project funded by the GRP-Alliance and were also made possible thanks to the voluntary contributions of the authors' time. Learn more about the project:

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