New University of Malta journal: ‘Postcolonial Directions in Education’

A new journal, Postcolonial Directions in Education, has just been launched and published by the University of Malta, as a peer reviewed open access source.

It is the brainchild of Professor Peter Mayo from the University’s Faculty of Education who co-edits it with Professor Anne Hickling-Hudson from Queensland University of Technology. Alex Grech from the University of Hull is the managing editor.

The Editorial Board comprises members from different faculties, including Professors Mary Darmanin, Gloria Lauri Lucente, Carmel Borg, George Sefa Dei, Daniel Schugurensky and Saviour Zammit. Dr Zammit and Mr Grech are responsible for the production side of this online venture.

The journal boasts a stellar editorial advisory board including, among others, Ali Abdi, Dip Kapoor, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Vandana Shiva, Ngugi Wa Thiong’O, Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Henry Giroux, Peter McLaren, Nahla Abdo, Christine Fox, Shirley Steinberg, Andre Elias Mazawi, Antonia Darder, Jim Cummins, Donaldo Macedo, John Willinsky, Ratna Ghosh, Catherine A. Odora Hoppers, Didacus Jules,Vanessa Andreotti, Ian Chambers, Handel Kashope Wright, Mauro Pala and Leon Tikly.

The decision to produce this journal online and open access is a political one meant to make this resource available to academics and students in the North and South. The major concern was that had this been produced by a top publishing house with a strong subscription base then it would not have been available to persons from many universities in the South. Furthermore, while English is the language adopted throughout, authors are allowed to provide abstracts in their native language. As for reviews, the journal is open to reviewing, in English, books written in different languages, with a view to providing further international visibility to these works. The reviews section focuses on not just books but also symposia, exhbitions and other activities having a strong postcolonial connection.

Each article is reviewed at least twice mainly but not exclusively by members of either the Editorial or Editorial Advisory Board. The journal complements a book series, which Professor Hudson and Professor Mayo co-edit with their colleague, Professor Antonia Darder, for Palgrave Macmillan, with the title Postcolonial Studies in Education. Seven volumes have already been published in the book series and others are in the production line. Registration is free and the journal can be accessed at: www.um.edu.mt/pde/index.php/pde1/issue/current