Experts in Istanbul Forum Examine Colonialism’s Impact on Knowledge Systems

(MENAFN) Scholars and academics gathered in Istanbul to discuss how colonial history continues to shape the production of knowledge, during a panel held as part of the World Decolonization Forum, according to reports.

The session, titled “The Problem of Knowledge Production: Decolonized Methodologies,” was hosted at the Atatürk Cultural Center and focused on how historical colonial structures continue to influence global academic and social systems.

Participants included prominent decolonial and postcolonial thinkers such as Walter Mignolo, Salman Sayyid, Syed Farid Alatas, and political scientist Anne Norton. Discussions centered on how knowledge is produced, who controls it, and how historical power imbalances continue to affect modern institutions.

Norton argued that colonialism remains deeply embedded in contemporary global systems rather than being a closed historical chapter. She stated, “Colonialism has not ended, it has not been defeated. The world we live in today is the world that built and constructed colonialism,” according to reports. She further suggested that colonial influence persists not only in political and economic structures but also in everyday thought patterns and institutional frameworks, including universities.

Sayyid focused on the structure of higher education systems, noting that many universities worldwide are modeled on Western institutional frameworks. He emphasized that academic institutions should prioritize knowledge as a public good rather than focusing primarily on financial or commercial outcomes, warning against treating universities as mere “degree factories.”

The discussions also explored broader themes of decolonization in culture, education, and society, with speakers stressing that institutional change must occur across multiple levels simultaneously in order to address what they described as enduring colonial legacies in global knowledge production.

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