The Struggle for Epistemic Freedom: Theoretical Perspectives on Higher Education Reform in Central Africa

This article presents a theoretical review of higher education in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), examining postcolonial, decolonial, modernisation, globalisation, feminist, conflict, and Afrocentric perspectives. Drawing on regionally relevant literature and policy frameworks such as Agenda 2063 and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), it explores how colonial legacies, neoliberal reforms, gender disparities, and armed conflict continue to shape educational systems across Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of the Congo. The review highlights the epistemic tensions between Western and Indigenous knowledge systems and points out the need for context-sensitive policy reform. A key contribution of this review is its fusion of diverse theoretical lenses in explaining higher education transformation in Central Africa, an approach that appears unprecedented in existing scholarship. It lays a foundation for future research and reform strategies that prioritise epistemic freedom, gender equity, and regional integration.