Decolonizing the Data Science Community through Meaningful Inclusion of Underrepresented Voices

Abstract

We live in a society where our decisions are increasingly based on research, data, and modeling. The role of research institutions like Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is to both educate future engineers and to produce research outputs that support our data-driven society. However, research is an ongoing way of regulating and realizing the underlying codes of colonialism (Smith, 1999). Universities are complicit in perpetuating the asymmetrical power relationships that exist in society by occupying a role of “well-intentioned post-colonial saviors” (Anthony-Stevens & Matsaw Jr, 2020). This positioning is embedded in TU Delft’s strategic vision and mission to educate socially responsible engineers who can contribute to solving global problems in collaboration with societal actors. If we claim to value inclusion and diversity within our institution, then we must also critically consider our role in upholding colonial systems. To decolonize our university is to engage in an ongoing process of 1) understanding the lasting impacts of colonization on our educational systems and research practices; and 2) actively uplifting the voices and perspectives of those who have historically been (and continue to be) excluded and underrepresented in academic spaces. The intention to make our research and education inclusive must be accompanied by concrete action. This thesis attempts to redefine meaningful inclusion within the data science community at TU Delft through a lens of decolonization and social justice. I suggest ways to make inclusion actionable by highlighting how the community is already providing the conditions necessary for meaningful inclusion. I also point out how our academic culture and bureaucracy need to shift to allow for greater participation. Finally, I reflect on how our mindset needs to change so that we (specifically researchers already within academia who already possess a certain amount of privilege) can take greater responsibility to support inclusive community.