Applying Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Decolonising Race Theory (DRT) Principles to Understand how the Kungullanji Program Contributes to Decolonising Undergraduate Research Experiences

Systemic racism within educational policies, procedures and structures has prevented access and imposed barriers to progression for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in research institutions. Universities must address systemic racism and support initiatives that move beyond tokenism to authentically support the needs and strengths of students. This paper employs the lenses of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Decolonising Race Theory (DRT), to explore racism in the context of undergraduate research. First, we explore how CRT and DRT can help to understand how racism impacts Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students participating in the Kungullanji Program, a co-designed undergraduate research program that decolonises research experiences. Second, by examining counter stories shared through cultural sharing practices of yarning we understand the impacts of systemic racism on the students’ participation in higher education and access to undergraduate research experiences. Third, we explore how students were empowered to navigate the cultural interface to challenge disciplinary knowledge and methods. Finally, we examine how the program sustainability and continuation was impacted by institutional pressures through the CRT principle of interest convergence and divergence. The application of CRT to understand the phenomenon of the Kungullanji Program helped identify areas where we could lead changes to decolonise university research experiences. Participation in undergraduate research and making new spaces for students to design and lead their own projects can contribute to changing the current paradigm and amplifying the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers.