This work examines the evolving epistemological foundations of universities, particularly within land and spatial disciplines, where understanding and application have been largely overshadowed by a neoliberal framework that prioritises market-driven outcomes. The corporatisation of higher education has led to a paradox: while technological advancements demand greater technical competence, the development of critical consciousness and epistemic diversity, essential for challenging the coloniality of space, has been neglected. Moreover, the institutional tendency to shield students from uncomfortable discussions undermines their ability to engage in border thinking and exercise radical spatial imagination. Consequently, this produces practitioners who are ill-prepared to navigate the subliminal nuances of coloniality, power, poverty, and politics in the pursuit of spatial justice and epistemic freedom. Through a qualitative content analysis approach, the findings indicate that both past and current pedagogical methods within the built environment disciplines fall short in equipping students to envision alternative indigenous futures.