Ahmed W. Waheed

This research investigates the coloniality of militarized knowledge production in the Global South, examining how military institutions and discourses shape higher education, research agendas, and epistemological hierarchies. Focusing on Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, the study conceptualizes militarization not only as an institutional process but also as an epistemic regime that disciplines academic inquiry and reinforces colonial power structures under neoliberal globalization. The project adopts a qualitative, comparative methodology, combining document and discourse analysis with semi-structured interviews. Case studies will explore universities with varying degrees of military influence, analyzing how governance structures, funding priorities, and policy discourses marginalize alternative knowledges. The study’s South-South comparative approach moves beyond Eurocentric frameworks, offering a distinct perspective on the global political economy of knowledge. By linking militarization to the erosion of academic freedom and the deepening of structural inequalities, the research addresses urgent debates in higher education policy, decolonial scholarship, and domestic governance.