About IISR

SandewHira2Origin of IISR
IISR is founded by Sandew Hira. Hira is an economist and historian and a representative of the decolonial historiography of Suriname. He leads the project Decolonizing The Mind, that looks into the question of how science has been influenced by colonialism.

Why IISR?
Within the western academia there is a dominant school who still propagates the superiority of western culture above non-western cultures. This school, which we term scientific colonialism, has its roots the European Enlightenment during colonialism. Many of their propositions are not based on scientific arguments but on ideological statements. With the rise of countries like China, India, Russia, Brazil and South Africa  a new global world arises in which this school is becoming anachronistic. The fundamental critique of scientific colonialism needs an institutional framework that initiates scientific research and fundamental critique and discussion.
Flyer_InstitutionalIslamophobiaWhat is the aim of IISR?
IISR wants to build an academic infrastructure for researchers in and outside the academia to conduct and promote scientific research from the perspective of decolonizing the mind. Researchers outside the academia are often very critical of the research in the academia but lack the infrastructure to develop their projects. IISR wants to build such an infrastructure especially for these researchers.

What are the activities of IISR?

  • Newsletter: IISR distributes a newsletter that looks into the ways the theoretical framework of  Decolonizing the Mind is applied to current problems of social movements.
  • Conferences: IISR organizes national add international conferences and maintains an intrenational network of organisations, activists and acqademic dealing with decolonizing power and knowledge.
  • Education: IISR oganizes courses, workshops and training progammes on Decolonizing the Mind.
  • Publications: IISR distributes knowledge in cooperatoin with Amrit Publishers, that publishes books that are edited by IISR on the topic of Decolonizing the Mind.
  • Projects: IISR develops projects on the topic of Decolonizing The Mind.

Institute for Decolonizing The Mind (DTM)