Intercultural postgraduate supervision: Post-colonial explorations and reflections on Southern positionings

Abstract

Opportunities for intercultural supervision have increased in recent years with more international enrolments in Western countries and more participation of culturally diverse and indigenous students in research higher degrees. While the burgeoning literature on intercultural supervision is helpful, it does not address the complex and rewarding issues of power and identity that emerge when supervisors and students from different cultures work together. This article argues that post-colonial theory offers critical insights into the pleasures and tensions of intercultural supervision, building upon data collected from an Australian university. It also investigates the possibilities offered to supervisors and students working in the global South to work towards decolonising knowledge and methodologies.