Academic research and knowledge repatriation at the intersection of epistemic and environmental justice in the Caribbean

Abstract

Researchers from institutions of higher education who conduct studies in the Caribbean often rely on local knowledge and support to produce scientific publications that could inform resource management. However, such research remains largely inaccessible to local communities because of the proprietary nature of the current knowledge ecosystem in academia. This commentary proposes knowledge repatriation as a means of advancing decolonial research efforts within higher education. First, we highlight the intersecting features of epistemic and environmental (in)justice with examples from the Caribbean context and discuss how knowledge repatriation efforts can counter extant environmental and epistemological exploitative practices. Second, we identify how academic institutions are specially positioned to challenge traditional research practices and advance knowledge repatriation. Third, we explore one example of how knowledge repatriation can unfold within a Caribbean context and some related challenges.