401531 Beyond the syllabus: Navigating coloniality in Public Health practice (Pj) (WiSe 2026/2027)

This participatory module invites students to bridge the gap between decolonial theory and professional practice. The module challenges students to identify and interrogate the colonial underpinnings of public health frameworks and structures. Through a "Praxis Lab", and/or in collaboration with external organisations, participants investigate the colonial legacies and narratives embedded in contemporary public health and co-create a living “Decolonial toolkit" — featuring discussion guides, zines, flyers or other (digital) resources — designed to spark institutional change and support ethical, reflexivity-based professional practice.

Designed for both academic study and future field work, the co-developed resources aim to equip students with the reflective tools necessary to challenge power imbalances, promote epistemic justice, and foster community-centered health interventions.Through participatory processes and principles, by the end of this module, students will be able to:

• Practice reflexivity: Critically assess their own positionality and the biases (and assets) they bring into professional health settings maintain or challenge power structures.
• Analyse power: Identify how coloniality shapes contemporary public health interventions and policy, and how standard public health frameworks (like the social determinants of health) might inadvertently ignore the impact of historical and ongoing imperialism.
• Translate theory: Synthesize complex decolonial concepts into practical, accessible tools (e.g., flyers, discussion guides, mapping) that can be used by peers throughout their studies and in future work environments.
• Address epistemic injustice and facilitate dialogue: Lead collaborative conversations about structural power, epistemic justice, and community sovereignty within a professional setting.

Instruction language: The course also aims to facilitate a safe space for students to practice English language skills; Outputs and assignments will mainly be produced in German (or other preferred languages according to student skills/practice partner needs).