PRME Working Group on Decolonisation

History

Across international networks of academics and practitioners, a recurring theme across sectors emerged that many individuals were grappling with the complexities of decolonisation, often in isolation and were seeking to connect with people doing similar work. In addition, it became clear that while much can be done at the institutional level, real change requires collective action across the profession at the international level.

The Working Group was therefore formed to bring together experiences of decolonisation work across these various contexts and to create a global collective platform for dialogue, learning, reflection and practice-sharing. Its aim is to facilitate a change at the level of the profession in an interdisciplinary manner that aligns with the Principles of PRME.

Purpose

The proposed PRME Working Group will focus on approaches to decolonising business schools and management education across contexts and disciplines. There have been growing calls with regards to the need to decolonise business schools to foster more equity, diversity, inclusion and justice, both in the way these schools operate, but also in relation to the way they advance responsible management education and practices overall.

This Working Group addresses that gap by examining how colonial histories and values continue to shape curricula, research, organisational practices and partnerships, often reproducing inequalities across local and global contexts. It also considers the implications of these dynamics for responsible management education.

Decolonisation is understood as plural, situated and relational. Our research highlights the importance of recognising the personal and professional contexts within which decolonisation work is taking place and that colonialism manifested through different forms across regions and institutions. The Working Group will therefore bring together researchers, educators and practitioners from across the globe to share context-specific experiences and practices and exchange about what it means for responsible management education locally and globally. By connecting diverse understandings, the group aims to inform practice, support change across the sector, and advance PRME’s values through a more explicit commitment to social justice, inclusion and global responsibility in a co-created manner. In doing so, the Working Group aims to operate according to principles and methods in line with decolonial work.

Goals

The goals of the group include:

• Build an international and interdisciplinary community of practice, bringing together academic and professional services colleagues, students, and practitioners engaged in decolonisation work within business schools.

• Create shared spaces for reflexive dialogue, peer learning and exchange of practices, including webinars, workshops and roundtable discussions and other forms of dialogue.

• Contribute to research and practice-based outputs that critically examine the role of business schools in reproducing or challenging colonial legacies and offer insights on how to tackle these at individual, professional, organisational and systemic levels.

• Build on the work of the members to develop accessible resources (e.g. case studies, reflective tools, teaching materials) that support business schools in engaging with decolonisation in context-sensitive and non-prescriptive ways.

• Support PRME Members in developing and embedding their own decolonial perspectives across teaching, research, partnerships and organisational operations.

Research

The Working Group aims to develop collaborative research activities and outputs that explore how decolonisation is understood and practiced within business schools and management education across different contexts. As membership expands, these activities will reflect the diverse disciplines, regions, and experiences represented within the group.

Research collaborations may include co-authored publications, comparative studies across national contexts, and partnerships with students and local external organizations. Through these collaborations, the group seeks to generate insights and practical resources that support more inclusive and context-sensitive approaches to responsible management education.

Below are examples of research activities and outputs previously conducted by our members to reflect the range of activities across our diverse members and contexts:

• SAGE case reports series on decolonising business school across the globe

  • The UK case that we coauthored with Bobby Banerjee, Sally Everett, Donna Ladkin, Mukuka Kasonde, Dujon Smith has been published - Decolonising a business school in context: From theory to practice
  • Two other reports: one on a case in Canada and one in New Zealand will be added [forthcoming with Sage].
• Online repository – Decolonising a Business School – An online depository for an ongoing project to decolonise a business school in the UK

Collaboration with local external partners like the one developed by Birmingham Business School that exemplifies the type of collaboration that the working group could put forward:

• "Using fine arts to dismantle colonisation in the Business School” collaboration between Birmingham Business School and the Barber Art Gallery. Research project funded by PRME UK&I RME Innovative Pedagogy Competition – see report available here.
• Using cultural animation to decolonise, collaboration between Birmingham Business School and the New Vic Theatre, Decolonising Birmingham Business School: A Student’s Perspective - University of Birmingham
• Birmingham Business School is currently collaborating with Birmingham Botanical Garden to bring nature and biodiversity thinking within the business curriculum through a business challenge.

Engagement Opportunities

Member opportunities will be added to this section as the group develops and collaborations expand.

Future joint projects could include:

• Co-authored book on different approaches to decolonising business schools

• A set of research collaboration with local external partners and students across different national contexts

• In-person workshops / sessions at PRME Global and regional events

• Reflection on decolonial methodologies in practice including workshops

• Online working group meetings to support and share practice and build relationships

• A PRME global seminar series on decolonising in context

Examples of workshops, professional development activities, and community engagement initiatives that members have been involved with in the past are outlined below.

• Joint events and professional development workshops that members organised/attended/contributed to:

• Launch of the Sage report and professional development workshop on Decolonising a business school in context organised at the Chartered Association of Business School Learning and Teaching Conference in May 2025;
• Professional development workshop on Decolonising a business school in context organized at the PRME Global Forum in June 2025;
• Professional Development Workshop on Building communities in decolonizing a business school in text organized at the PRME Chapter UKI conference in June 2025;
• Professional development workshop on Decolonising the Management Curriculum organised at the Academy of Management Conference in July 2025.
• Joint workshop with the Inclusive Education Working Group from the British Academy of Management in November 2025: Decolonising Business Schools in Context: Putting Theory into Practice in Decolonising your Curriculum
• Panel organised by the European Association of Accounting in November 2025: Decolonization in Practice: Taking Stock and Moving Forward - EAA

Resource Development

The Working Group plans to develop case studies of decolonising in practice across disciplines and education, research and operational practice. This may include collaborating on a co-authored book focused on different approaches to decolonising business schools

The group is open to developing other resources that are of interest to create with members.

Other Activities

The Working Group will explore engaging in other activities such as the· podcast series – Decolonial Dialogues. This is a co-created podcast mini-series created by Anita Lateano at Birmingham Business School in collaboration with a student BSc Economics student Susan Njuguna. The series brings together students, educators, researchers and business leaders to explore different perspectives on decolonising the business school. Invited contributors include Prof. Bobby Banerjee from Bayes Business School, Prof Donna Ladkin, Mukuka Kasonde, Ph.D. student from Huddersfield University, Dujon Smith from Accenture. Designed as an accessible space for reflection and dialogue, the podcast invites listeners to engage with what decolonisation can mean in practice.

The Steering Committee is in the process of being finalized for greater representation. Stay tuned!

Chair

Caroline Chapain, Birmingham Business School, UK

Email: c.a.chapain@bham.ac.uk

Steering Committee

Emma Surman, Birmingham Business School, UK

Rweyemamy Ndibalema, Birmingham Business School, UK

Please fill out the form here to join the Working Group.