Publications by Fellows: Yan Jasin Sunca: Reflecting on Coloniality of Power, Colonial Violence and Decolonization Through the University of Rojava
A new book chapter by Yan Jasin Sunca explores knowledge decolonization through studying the University of Rojava in Syria.
According to the abstract, the chapter addresses the actual conditions under which knowledge is decolonized, focusing on the University of Rojava (UoR). Rojava (West Kurdistan, North and East Syria) has been undergoing a revolutionary transition since 2012, guided by the principles of democratic confederalism, which can be seen as a form of decolonization through radical and direct democracy. This transition involves fundamental changes in the processes of knowledge production and university system. Building on this experience, Sunca argues that decolonizing a university is not merely a discursive rhetoric but a fundamental component of an overall anti-colonial struggle. After reflecting on the layers of colonialism in Kurdistan, Sunca then differentiates between struggles for emancipation and struggles for building a free life, which informs the place of the university in the overall struggle. Later, Sunca elaborates the meaning and practice of decolonization through the experience of the UoR, focusing particularly on the Faculty of Political Science.
The paper was published in the volume Decolonizing Knowledge: Looking Back, Moving Forward, edited by Radha D’Souza and Sunera Thobani, and published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2025.
Find out more here.