South African University Probe Finds 'Rife' Racism

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Protests by students at the University of Cape Town in South Africa in 2015 sparked an investigation into university policies.

DECOLONIZATION South African university probe finds ‘rife’ racism University of Cape Town inquiry rekindles debate about decolonizing the nation’s universities.

BY LINDA NORDLING “unjust discrimination, domination or violence”. better qualified black academics being passed These allegations — from students and some over for employment and promotion in favour damning report that says racism is staff — came to the fore during violent, nation- of white academics”. entrenched at the University of Cape wide protests that rocked South African Few members of academic staff have spoken Town (UCT) has reignited discus- universities, including UCT, in 2015–16. publicly about the findings. But Tiri Chinyoka, Asions about how to erase the divisive legacy The commission, formed in 2016, says it a mathematics lecturer and acting chair of of colonialism at South Africa’s top research has found evidence of “systematic suppres- UCT’s Black Academic Caucus, told Nature institutions. sion of black excellence in recent years” at the that the findings agree with what he and his The report, published on 18 March, was university, which is South Africa’s oldest and black colleagues and students experience daily. written by an independent commission that one of its strongest in research. Submissions “Institutional racism at UCT is practically the university leaders created to look into allega- to the commission came from students, staff norm,” he says. Black staff members remain tions that institutional practices have led to and the public, and were “rife with stories of under-represented in the university’s senior

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decision-making bodies, he says. “Until the also featured a human-rights lawyer and a a major obstacle to progress, she adds. structures change, there won’t be significant retired constitutional-court judge. It drew on The report is likely to fuel tensions change.” 80 submissions from students and staff mem- surrounding efforts to decolonize UCT’s The report proposes that UCT reforms bers, as well as from institutional hearings for academic programmes. In 2016, the univer- recruitment processes to make them more students who had been involved in the most sity tasked a working group with creating a transparent and inclusive, and that its policies destructive protests. The report concludes that Curriculum Change Framework to guide this addressing discrimination such as racism and racism exists at UCT, “abetted by poor man- work. The framework was published in 2018, sexism be “effectively and adequately imple- agement systems” which “discriminate on a and sets out the need to forge a new identity for mented”. It also recommends that the univer- racial basis”. UCT that regards Africans as “legitimate know- sity strengthens mental-health services for Robert Morrell, a social scientist who leads a ers and producers of knowledge” who are central students and staff, and revises its affirmative- UCT programme that addresses demographic to the academic project. It says that previously action admission policies for black students. inequalities among mid-career academics, disregarded texts should become core reading UCT’s leadership said in a statement to questions whether 80 sources are enough to material for students, that people from margin- Nature that it would respond to the report’s conclude that UCT is racist. “What about the alized communities should become drivers of recommendations after a committee had con- other 30,000 students, research, and that “colonial lies embedded in sidered the recommendations and reported “Until the 4,000 staff and the disciplines, must be exposed and disrupted”. to the university’s council; that is scheduled structures tens of thousands of “Central in resisting coloniality is defying for June. In the statement, it acknowledged change, there alumni?” he wrote in a colonial authority in what constitutes that the protests had raised “very serious chal- won’t be 1 April opinion piece knowledge, how it is produced, and who is lenges” and that “many lessons were learnt”. significant for the Daily Maverick allowed to claim custodianship,” the frame- change.” online newspaper. work states. It is especially difficult to challenge CAMPUS PROTESTS Racial transfor- authority in the sciences, it says, and resistance The university set up the UCT Institutional mation of historically white-dominated from gatekeepers is acute. Reconciliation and Transformation Commis- universities has been high on South Africa’s UCT staff members are being consulted sion after the 2015–16 protests. These were agenda since apartheid ended in the early about the framework, which could guide part of nationwide campus demonstrations in 1990s. But although all institutions have future curriculum reform. It already has crit- which students demanded an end to tuition policies aimed at raising the proportion ics: in February, four UCT academics said that fees and called for a ‘decolonized’ curricu- of black staff and assisting disadvantaged it threatens academic freedom and that if the lum — one that eliminates, or minimizes, the students, many people feel that progress in framework became policy, it might dismiss disproportionate legacy of white European implementing them has been slow. curricula informed by “humankind’s most thought in academic programmes. reliable methods of evidence-gathering and The protests started at UCT and began with CURRICULUM CHANGE investigation” as “colonial ideology”. Chinyoka calls for a prominent statue of British colonial Mamokgethi Phakeng, who became UCT’s says that these fears are “knee-jerk responses”. businessman and politician Cecil Rhodes to be vice-chancellor in mid-2018, has prioritized South African universities must strike a bal- removed from the university’s main campus. campaigning for inclusivity and racial trans- ance between radical change and safeguarding Later, protesters disrupted lectures and exams formation. She has introduced targeted schol- excellence, says Brenda Wingfield, a molecular at the university, occupied buildings and arships for women and postgraduates, and biologist at the University of Pretoria. “We need destroyed property. UCT paid a private secu- has cleared some students’ debt to help them to be very careful about keeping the functional rity company to protect its staff and property graduate. But her vision will filter down to universities that we have,” she says. Universities — which protesters and some staff members department level only if middle management must inspire young Africans to be passionate described as counterproductive. comes on board, says Amanda Weltman, a about Africa, she adds. “But we also need to Mosibudi Mangena, a former South African cosmologist at UCT. “Some feel inclusivity is a teach global citizens, not blinkered nationalists science minister, led the commission, which threat,” she says, and weak management can be who cannot see beyond our borders.”■

FUNDING that represent a total of 70,000 researchers. Ultimately, whoever wins the election in mid-May will determine Australian budget the final budget. If the ruling con- servative coalition returns to power, over the next four years univer- fails to impress sities will lose Aus$345 million (US$245 million) that had been earmarked Science shunned in this year’s spending proposal. in previous budgets to pay for costs not cov- BY SMRITI MALLAPATY received modest investments. But there was no ered by research grants, new money for research grants, and universi- such as training, elec- ustralians are just weeks from a ties would be worse off under the proposal. tricity and salaries national election, and the govern- “It is not an inspirational budget for a nation for technical staff. ment’s latest budget proposal, released that needs to transition from a bulk resources The drop in funding Aon 2 April, prioritizes tax cuts, roads and small exporter to an innovation economy,” says Syd- follows a series of cuts businesses ahead of spending on science. ney-based marine ecologist Emma Johnston, Projects in nuclear medicine, environmen- president of Science & Technology Australia Australian treasurer tal protection and gender equality in science (STA), an umbrella organization of societies Josh Frydenberg.