ABSTRACT

Colonial influences on science are a highly contested topic in the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. To varying extents, the epochs of centuries of occupation and settlement have left traces in today's diverse culture and linguistic landscape of Algeria – Arabic, Tamazight (‘Berber’/Kabyl), and French. The chapter outlines the development of decolonisation towards hybrid knowledges in Algerian higher education past and present as reflected by its linguistic conflicts. This chapter aims at bringing a highly contested political issue to scholarly debate, where it is currently muted. It aims to highlight the possible options for the integration of linguistic diversity and coexistence of different languages, from a scientific rather than an ideological perspective. Drawing on the notions of structural violence and the concept of language for peace, we argue that incorporating hybridity in the Algerian higher could address the current challenges in the sector. The paper argues that the (partial) discontinuation of a language on the grounds that it is marked by former colonisation is not sufficient for decolonisation of a country's academia.