Navigating the Epistemic Terrain: A Policy Framework for Endogenous African Studies in Angola (2000–2026)

The field of African Studies has long been characterised by a reliance on exogenous epistemologies and methodologies, often marginalising local knowledge systems. In Angola, despite political independence, the academic infrastructure for endogenous knowledge production remains underdeveloped, creating a significant policy gap. This analysis aims to develop a comprehensive policy framework to institutionalise endogenous African Studies within the nation's higher education and research sector. It seeks to identify the structural, epistemic, and financial barriers to this goal and propose actionable mechanisms for reform. The study employs a qualitative policy analysis, drawing on document analysis of national education strategies, institutional reports, and curricular materials. This is supplemented by a critical review of the theoretical literature on epistemic decolonisation and knowledge sovereignty. A dominant theme is the persistent curricular reliance on Western theoretical canons, with over 70% of core readings in sampled programmes originating from Euro-American sources. The analysis identifies a critical absence of policy mechanisms to fund, validate, and integrate community-based indigenous knowledge into accredited academic programmes. The institutionalisation of endogenous African Studies requires a deliberate and multi-faceted policy intervention that moves beyond rhetorical commitment to structural and epistemic reorientation. Establish a national research fund dedicated to community-university partnerships; mandate the co-creation of curricula with local knowledge holders; and reform academic promotion criteria to value publications in indigenous languages and community-engaged research. epistemic justice, knowledge sovereignty, higher education policy, decolonisation, curriculum reform, indigenous knowledge This article provides the first integrated policy framework for Angola that explicitly links funding mechanisms, curricular reform, and academic incentive structures to the goal of endogenous knowledge production in African Studies.