Decolonizing global partnerships: are Canadian universities doing enough?

In the fall of 2024, I had the opportunity to visit Tanzania in East Africa as a part of a larger delegation from Simon Fraser University to support the university's global reach and engagement activities in the region such as student programming and research collaborations. While I was abroad, I began to question how western universities approach their global university partnerships in a decolonial way so as to not perpetuate colonial legacies that might continue to exist. In this research report, I explored how those who work in Canadian universities, and participate in global engagement activities, might perceive working with their global partners in a decolonial way. Through my qualitative interviews with three participants, I found three themes which included the variations in terminology comprehension across participants, challenges navigating identity and imposter syndrome, and the importance of fostering mutuality in global partnerships. This report underscores the complexities and context-specific nature of decolonial practices within Canadian Higher Educational Institutions.