Decolonizing Global Health

1 Credit · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

The concept of “decolonialization” of academic curricula and research partnerships has gained momentum in recent years, stemming from frustrations at the implicit and explicit ways in which Western cultural, political, and educational hegemony pervade virtually all disciplines. In global health, false narratives of objectivity, universality, and apolitical interests cloud the realities of historical roots in European and North American colonial endeavors. This one-credit course will provide an opportunity to learn about the concept of decolonization and how it is being applied to global public health issues, from leading academics and practitioners. It will be open to students in all schools at Georgetown. Students who are not enrolled in the course will be invited to attend individual lectures, which will also be open to registration from the general public. The lineup of speakers will be set in late Summer 2020. Class attendance is required. There may be up to 30-40 pages of readings assigned in advance of each class session or pre-recorded lecture material, depending on the topic, to ensure students are prepared to engage with the guest speaker.