ABSTRACT
The success of the decolonial project in academia requires self-critical engagement of the North with its own influence in the continuation of neo-colonial structures and power relations. On a practical level, this also refers to decolonizing institution and curricula; especially in the field of African Studies. Implementing one step into this direction, the chapter presents the results of discussions with and among Master students of the African Verbal and Visual Arts (AVVA) programme at Bayreuth University in their visions of a decolonial learning space. This discourse analysis is preceded and framed by a critical historical overview on German Afrikanistik, which are both the hosting discipline of AVVA as well as a carrier of ideological colonial baggage. Out of this context, we discuss a number of questions: Why did students choose to study Africa in Europe? What role did and does (de-)coloniality play in academic life? How is decolonial thinking and practice related to “indigenous” aesthetics and knowledge? What does an ideal decolonized learning environment look like? Located in the realm of language sociology, the chapter, based on focus-group interviews, contributes to the current redefinition, and re-legitimisation of African Studies in the North with a focus on art, literature, and language studies.
