Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainable Change in Higher Education: An Opportunity Not to Be Missed for Humankind

Across my 30-year journey through higher education (HE), I have had the honour to learn from and with members of several Indigenous peoples in Colombia. I bear this in mind while appreciating the valuable opportunity that HE offers for human beings— to explore broader ways of understanding life and the problems affecting us all, and to co-construct alternative solutions. I argue it is not enough to simply acknowledge Indigenous knowledge (IK) in institutional discourses; these intentions for inclusion need to be translated into institutional actions. Academics must leave their comfort zones and begin an authentic dialogue as praxis with Indigenous and Afrodescendant peoples to imagine and help cultivate the better world we all desire. An intergenerational strategy can make our collaborative efforts sustainable through participatory intercultural education actions. To this end, HE institutions need to strengthen institutional governance through more inclusive participation in decision-making. Collaborative actions need to leave behind competitive models to re-signify the ‘higher’ component so long distorted in HE. These actions must aim to transform realities through university–school partnerships, and collaborative work with diverse cultural communities and entities at different levels. Practical suggestions include exploring with student teachers creative and innovative initiatives to support the school system. These initiatives need to co-create with diverse cultural communities a wide range of intercultural educational bridges and pathways, aimed at preserving and strengthening Indigenous students’ cultural identities in their transition to HE and throughout their academic journey.