Description:

PhD Candidate Gautam Bisht (Learning Sciences) will present his research on "Decolonizing Research: Insights from a Methods Workshop in a Rural Himalayan College in India." Abstract included below:

How can we teach research not just as a set of technical skills, but as a critical, creative practice deeply rooted in place, language, and collaboration? In this talk, Bisht will share insights from a research methods workshop conducted at a government college in Uttarakhand, India. This initiative emerged in response to India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which introduced research at the undergraduate level for the first time. Grounded in a decolonial framework and using a participatory design research approach, the workshop focused on local knowledge systems, interdisciplinary and intergenerational group work, multilingual and multimodal formats and authentic outcomes. He will share how these elements not only empowered students to conduct socially transformative research but also addressed the challenges faced by small rural colleges, such as faculty shortages, heavy workloads and students balancing academics with other responsibilities.

Please note that 720 University Place is not an ADA-accessible space. Increasing physical access to buildings and facilities is a goal of the University, but not all buildings and venues have been updated.