Unisa online - Community engagement on the African continent

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof Narend Baijnath calling on faculty, students, and administrators to apply their skills, resources and talents to address important issues affecting communities, the nation, and the world

Exploring community engagement trends in an African developmental context was the theme of Unisa’s first ever Engaged Scholarship Conference. Focusing on best practices in community engagement, the two-day event, held on 22 and 23 March 2012, brought together a spectrum of specialists who engaged in rich discourse, shared experiences and learnt from each other.

Welcoming guests, both national and international, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof Narend Baijnath, said universities and scholars who are funded by the public purse, have remained aloof from society in large measure. “We have not been as responsive to fulfilling the knowledge needs of a developing society, nor satisfactorily developing the diverse range of skilled persons required for a prosperous economy, sound governance in the public and private sectors and a vibrant culture.” Click here for Prof Baijnath’s full address.

Listing intractable problems confronting South Africa and Africa, Prof Baijnath said that academics are particularly capable of being dispassionate, and the social, economic and environmental challenges facing the country are real, but ignored at academics’ peril. He reminded guests of the civic roles that universities should play. “Higher education was founded with a civic mission that calls on faculty, students, and administrators to apply their skills, resources and talents to address important issues affecting communities, the nation, and the world,” he quoted.

He said, as the largest university in the country, Unisa is in the unique position to make decisive contributions to development of South Africa and Africa. “Participating in community engagement is not participating in the charity arm of the institution. Our community engagement directorate must move from obscurity to occupy a pivotal role in the life of the institution. It is ill-advised that community engagement be denigrated as a mere accessory to the core function of the university since it is at the heart of the social function, purpose and the value system of our institution.”

Chairperson: South African Higher Education Community Engagement Forum and keynote speaker, Dr Jerome Slamat recommends that teaching and learning, as well as research should comprise scholarship

Chairperson: South African Higher Education Community Engagement Forum and keynote speaker, Dr Jerome Slamat, explored three pertinent questions – where do universities stand with regards to their understanding of scholarship; what does it mean to be a 21st century university, and how would community engagement scholarship look at such a university?

Dr Slamat said that in today’s university environment, research and publications seem to equate scholarship and the hero of the university is the researcher academic. “It would appear that teaching and service is valued less.” He recommended that all components – teaching and learning, as well as research – should comprise scholarship. He later said for community engagement to be effective, it cannot be separate from these core functions.

He identified seven trends – technology, knowledge economy, innovation, network society, complexity/ contingency, internationalisation, and demographic changes – associated with 21st century universities and discussed the impacts of these trends, and provided examples and suggestions of how these trends could be linked to community engagement.

During the gala dinner held on 22 March 2012, the Mayor of Tshwane, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, posed four questions to scholars regarding the role, nature and purpose of universities; who do universities have in mind when they speak of communities; when did the notion of community engagement arise and what problems does it seek to resolve; and what is the role of communities in shaping community engagement?  He said that universities play a key role in cultivating capabilities and capacities that are indispensible to the deepening of the twin projects of democratisation and developmentalism.

Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mandla Makhanya discussing Unisa's conceptualisation of community engagement

Responding, Unisa’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mandla Makhanya said that while he is not saying that Unisa is on the back foot, universities, generally, need to find a space where they understand what it means to be involved in community engagement.

Prof Makhanya said that higher education stands on three pillars – teaching and learning, research, and community engagement. However, he said in the instance where community engagement is missing or lacking, the problem lies squarely with that particular higher education institution. He said institutions that are serious about their own activities would conceptualise community engagement, as Unisa has done, and enter it as part of the university’s strategy, rather than something that comes accidently.

“And then beyond that, begin to drive an agenda that ensures that the entire sector drives that particular project as part and parcel of the whole, rather than doing it in a less integrated fashion. In that way, you stand a better chance of yielding the kind of results that will positively contribute to the activities that communities would be appreciative of, rather than communities seeing themselves mainly as a source of data.”

A musical performance for guests at the gala dinner

Entertainment at the gala dinner

A display of African art