The Current Issues in the Research of Colonialism, Neocolonialism, and Decolonization

In October, 2023, the Institute for African Studies (Russian Academy of Sciences) hosted the All-Russian Scientific Conference with international participation “Colonialism, Neocolonialism, Decolonization: Research Experience and Modern Discourse”. About 50 researchers from Russia, Ghana, Tanzania and Cameroon participated in a scientific event organized by the Center for History and Cultural Anthropology and the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute for African Studies. At the conference, attendees reflected on the complex histories of colonialism, neocolonialism, and decolonization. They also scrutinized current methods of neocolonial manipulation and delved into the discourse surrounding the fight against neocolonial ideas and actions. During the forum, the participants engaged in conversations surrounding the topics of political and legal neocolonialism, digital imperialism, anti-colonial movements, historical memory, historiography, and the cultural, spiritual, and mental liberation from colonial dependence. The diverse range of topics and unique research methods sparked dynamic and beneficial conversations that broadened participants’ knowledge of colonial discourses and counter-discourses, while also revealing potential avenues for future research. A key result of the conference ought to be the release of a book containing research papers.

colonialism, neocolonialism, decolonization, history, political science, Africa, Russia