Reconceptualising Academic Citizenship in the Global South via an Interdisciplinary Debate Club

There is an urgent need for educators and students to reflect on their assumptions of what academic citizenship encompasses given the growing awareness of the detrimental effects of globalisation and colonialism on the poor and the marginalised, as well as the complex sociopolitical realities of life in the Global South. Such reflection intersects with discussions on the transformation and decolonisation of identity, the rights and responsibilities of educators and students and issues of power and autonomy within higher education. In the face of these intersectional complexities, an interdisciplinary debate club is put forward as a means of championing critique, inquiry and academic collaboration, potentially fostering sociopolitical curiosity. By utilising a problem-posing practical approach to learning – emphasising active creation of knowledge and encouraging students to explore their own questions and beliefs – the interdisciplinary debate club helps to develop a practice-based view of academic citizenship. Findings reflect, firstly, greater critical thinking and enriched engagement in discussions, empowering both educators and students to come together, becoming aware of, and engaging with, their sociopolitical realities. Secondly, the practice enhances an anti-oppressive social vision both within higher education and beyond. Thirdly, the practice enables a conceptualisation of academic citizenship that is more intricate and inclusive, surpassing its traditional association with ‘organisational service’.