African-German Cooperation towards Decolonising Higher Education: CERM-ESA Approaches and Lessons Learnt

This paper looks into decolonisation as a guiding principle for North-South academic cooperation towards the United Nations 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development adopted in 2015. The purpose of this article is to examine the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funded African-German cooperation within the East and South African-German Centre of Excellence for Educational Research Methodologies and Management – CERM-ESA – and reflect on its conditions and its contributions to decolonising higher education. The article draws on relevant literature and reflects on CERM-ESA activities, face-to-face discussions with CERM-ESA faculty and students. The findings have practical implications for North-South cooperation partnerships aimed at decolonising higher education in Africa.