Decolonising research at the University of St Andrews A roundtable discussion

This roundtable discussion brings together colleagues from across the University whose scholarship engages with Indigenous communities on several continents to share experiences and reflect collectively on what it means to decolonise research in practice. We aim to address how ways of thinking about decolonising research developed in other contexts, such as Australia and Canada, might meaningfully be applied at St Andrews and within the UK more broadly.

The discussion takes place as the University continues its critical examination of its colonial legacies and considers how to respond to these histories through concrete and positive action. Following the publication of the University's Legacies of Empire report in 2025, we now have a unique opportunity to galvanise further meaningful, coordinated activity in this area. In this vein, the roundtable is intended as a collegial, internal space for open and constructive dialogue, and as an opportunity to strengthen, coordinate, and bring into conversation existing collaborative initiatives across the University. These include the Transnational Research Consortium for Indigenous Knowledge, (TReCIK) the Berry Bequest Group, and EDGES (Entangling Indigenous Knowledges in Universities).

The event is organised partly to benefit from the visit of Simon Haberle, Professor of Paleoecology and Natural History at the Australian National University, who is visiting the University in May 2026 as a Senior Global Fellow. Professor Haberle's current research is on the lands of the Yuan Nation, including the Jerrinja people of the south coast of New South Wales, and aims to combine Indigenous and Western knowledges to better understand Australia's past and secure its future. During the event, Professor Haberle will be in discussion with the following speakers: Professor Mario I Aguilar (TReCIK), Patrizia Lopez Sanchez Cervantes (EDGES), Professor Aileen Fyfe (Legacies of Empire), Professor Tom E. Jones (Berry Bequest Working Group), and Dr Michael Simpson.

The roundtable is organised by the St Andrews Centre for Critical Sustainabilities (StACCS). It forms part of a wider programme of activities linked to the Centre's ‘Chronologically' theme, led by Dr Katy Roucoux, Senior Lecturer in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development, which aims to strengthen interdisciplinary dialogue by connecting past climates, environments, and landscapes with future sustainability challenges.