Reimagining African leadership models for peace education and epistemically just knowledge systems in higher education

This study examines how Indigenous African leadership philosophies, particularly Ubuntu and participatory governance models, can transform higher education institutions into sites of peace education and epistemic justice. It responds to the enduring marginalisation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems within African universities. A qualitative comparative institutional analysis design, underpinned by document-based research, was adopted. The study analysed 67 institutional documents from universities in Rwanda, South Africa, and Ghana. Rwanda’s post-genocide education reforms served as a critical embedded case. This offered insights into context-driven educational transformation. Eurocentric leadership structures remain deeply embedded across the cases, perpetuating epistemic injustice. Yet pockets of Afrocentric innovation are emerging. For instance, governance restructures in Rwanda incorporate restorative justice principles, gender equity initiatives are evident in South Africa, and curriculum reviews in Ghana propose Indigenous Knowledge Systems integration. Evidence from these institutional documents points to a gradual shift toward locally grounded leadership. Student movements like #RhodesMustFall further reveal how institutional hierarchies are being contested. The study proposes an epistemically just leadership framework, anchored in participatory governance, Ubuntu-informed pedagogy, and restorative policies. By centring Indigenous Knowledge Systems and African philosophical traditions, this research contributes to broader efforts toward epistemic justice, social cohesion, and the transformation of post-colonial institutions. It positions leadership transformation as foundational, not peripheral, to broader decolonisation efforts in African higher education.