Dr. Bharanee Moothoosamy Is Bringing Postcolonial Scholarship and African Literature to a New Generation

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For Dr. Bharanee Moothoosamy, education has never been simply about earning qualifications. It has been a way of asking difficult questions about history, power, culture and the relationship between people and the environment.

An independent early career scholar from Mauritius, Moothoosamy recently completed her PhD in Postcolonial Studies at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. Her research sits at the intersection of postcolonial studies and environmental humanities, with particular attention to the ways literature can challenge longstanding assumptions about nature, conservation and the Global South.

Now, she is taking that expertise into a new chapter through Ambassador of Africa, the youth mentorship arm of The Voice of Africa Group, where she will help lead an African Studies program designed to give students and emerging thinkers greater access to African literature, history, critical theory and intellectual perspectives.

The role brings together several parts of Moothoosamy’s journey: her academic research, her passion for literature, her experience teaching students and her commitment to challenging inherited narratives about Africa.

Her interest in these questions began with a love of literature.

“I care deeply about the environment,” Moothoosamy said. “I am a critical thinker who interrogates the enduring Eurocentric narratives legitimising the abuse of nature and resources in the Global South.”

That perspective has become central to her academic work.

Rather than treating literature simply as a form of artistic expression, Moothoosamy examines how postcolonial writing can challenge established ideas about power, nature and the relationship between the Global North and Global South.

Her research explores how postcolonial literature interrogates traditional understandings of wilderness and offers alternative approaches to thinking about forest conservation in Africa.

It is a field that connects literary scholarship with some of the broader questions facing the continent, including environmental sustainability, colonial legacies and the ways Africa is represented within global intellectual discourse.

For Moothoosamy, academic work provides an opportunity to question those narratives while imagining alternatives.

“Through my academic and creative writing, I imagine more just alternatives for a sustainable planet,” she said.

Her academic journey reached a major milestone when she was awarded her PhD from the University of Kent.

She describes receiving the degree as the proudest moment of her professional journey, but the achievement also represents years of determination.

Studying abroad and living alone presented some of the most significant challenges she had faced. As someone who describes herself as naturally shy during her student years, she also had to develop the confidence to participate more actively in academic and social environments.

She credits determination, friendships, mentorship and a willingness to seek help with helping her navigate those challenges.

That experience now informs the way she approaches teaching.

Moothoosamy has recently taught an online four week creative writing masterclass through R: Ed Africa, a nonprofit Pan African movement. The experience has allowed her to combine her academic background with one of her earliest ambitions.

“As a child, my dream was to become a teacher,” she said. “Guiding students in their own academic journey is a very fulfilling experience for me.”

Her work with students extends beyond teaching writing techniques. She is interested in helping people develop the confidence to think critically, communicate their ideas and engage with questions that shape their communities and societies.

That educational focus is also what makes her forthcoming work with Ambassador of Africa significant.

The program will give students an opportunity to engage with African Studies through a scholar whose work is informed by both African and international academic experiences.

Moothoosamy plans to teach a 16 week course titled “Empire Writing, Contemporary African Literature and Postcolonial Theory.”

The course will examine the relationship between empire, literature and contemporary African thought, providing students with an opportunity to explore how African writers and scholars have engaged with the legacies of colonialism and the continuing questions surrounding identity, representation and power.

For Ambassador of Africa, bringing this type of specialist knowledge into its programming strengthens the organization’s broader objective of connecting African and diaspora youth with meaningful educational and professional opportunities.

For Moothoosamy, it is an opportunity to make academic knowledge more accessible.

Her own experience has shown her the value of having people who can provide guidance, encouragement and perspective at important stages of a student’s development.

She believes that mentorship can make an enormous difference, particularly for students who may not have access to established academic networks.

Her message to people beginning their own journeys is simple.

“Have faith in yourself, always.”

That philosophy is reflected in the trajectory of her own career.

Moothoosamy has presented her research at academic conferences and workshops in the UK, including events focused on animal humanities, history, human animal studies, and the relationship between animals and environments.

She has also contributed to academic review work, including reviewing Victor Monnin’s 2023 article for the Journal of Literature and Science.

Outside academic institutions, she has continued writing for R: Ed Africa. Her published work includes “Our Forests, Our Lifeline: Safeguarding Africa’s Green Heritage” and “Art of Living: Are You Paying Attention to the Miracles in Your Life?”

Together, these experiences demonstrate the breadth of her interests.

Her work moves between literature, environmental questions, education, creativity and African development, but the underlying objective remains consistent: encouraging people to think critically about the world around them and their place within it.

Her connection to Africa is also personal.

Based in Mauritius, Moothoosamy brings an Indian Ocean perspective to conversations about Africa, and she is interested in questions surrounding the continent’s literature, environment and postcolonial history.

That perspective matters in African Studies because the continent cannot be adequately understood through a single national or regional lens.

Africa’s intellectual traditions extend across borders, languages and histories, while its relationship with the wider world has been shaped by migration, colonialism, resistance, cultural exchange and global connections.

Moothoosamy’s approach reflects that complexity. Rather than presenting Africa through simplified narratives, she encourages students to examine the ideas and structures that have influenced how the continent has been represented and understood.

Her forthcoming Ambassador of Africa program is therefore positioned to be more than an academic course.

It is an opportunity for students to engage with African literature and postcolonial theory while developing the critical thinking skills needed to understand the continent on its own terms.

Moothoosamy also hopes to continue expanding her contribution to African education through online teaching and mentorship.

Her long term ambition is to work as an academic at a university while continuing to share her specialist knowledge with students beyond traditional classrooms.

That combination of scholarship and accessibility is becoming increasingly important as students seek educational opportunities that connect academic knowledge with real world questions.

For Moothoosamy, the purpose of education ultimately extends beyond qualifications.

It is about giving people the tools to question, understand and contribute.

Her journey from Mauritius to doctoral research in the United Kingdom, from a shy student to a scholar, and now toward a leadership role in African Studies reflects that philosophy.

Through Ambassador of Africa, she will have an opportunity to bring that experience directly to a new generation of students.

And for an organization focused on developing African talent and connecting young people with knowledge, mentorship and opportunity, the partnership represents a natural meeting of purpose and expertise.

Dr. Bharanee Moothoosamy is not simply entering the next stage of her academic career.

She is helping create a space where African literature, history, theory and identity can be studied with greater depth, questioned with greater confidence and passed on to the people who will shape the continent’s future.

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