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Establishing Relevant University-Community Relationships: Case Study of the University of Georgia-Tunisia Experience
Over the past eight years, the University of Georgia (UGA) has engaged with the Tunisian higher education system to build capacity for university engagement within the community. Through a series of professional development workshops geared to sensitize Tunisian universities to the model and benefits of university-community outreach, and through a number of pilot projects with three Tunisian universities and a great deal of advocacy, we have succeeded in jump starting university-community outreach in Tunisia. Tunisian administrators, professors and students from the universities of Sousse, Sfax and Jendouba have come forth to conceptualize and design a range of very interesting and pertinent projects for implementation within their local communities. The projects range from using technology to assist in the care of patients with cerebral palsy, to creating a culture of entrepreneurship, to revitalizing abandoned parks, to reaching out to elementary and secondary students to promote leadership skills.
Service to the community is a pillar of democracy and one of the most fundamental and essential aspects of developed societies around the world. University service is a process by which faculty and students engage in projects and activities that meet community needs. When integrated into the curriculum, these activities give faculty and students the opportunity to apply academic work to real-life situations, therefore becoming active agents of change and contributing to the alleviation of pressing social and economic issues. Students in particular who engage in service activities develop enhanced attitudes towards civic participation, stronger problem solving and planning skills, higher levels of skill in teamwork, increased sense of self-efficacy and have greater access to networks that provide resources needed to become educated, responsible, engaged adults. Faculty and student engagement within the local, national, and international community is nearly standard practice at universities in the United States. As such, this model may serve as a practical framework for universities in developing countries to mobilize their resources for the good of surrounding communities and provide a vehicle for social and economic advancement. The UGA-Tunisia Educational Partnership was established in 2002 with the promotion of university community outreach as one of its primary objectives. This has been accomplished through a series of professional development workshops at UGA and in Tunisia, and a number of pilot projects. Professional development workshops covered topics ranging from broad ideas such as the philosophy of an engaged university, to more specific concepts such as needs analysis and project development. Enthusiasm among Tunisian universities has provided momentum to grow the program while maintaining its grassroots nature at the ground level.
The main goal of our program has been to build capacity of the Tunisian higher education system to create university-community partnerships. This was to be accomplished through professional development workshops, facilitation of pilot projects, and advocacy at various levels of the higher education system. An integral element of this is the involvement of local institutions in project design and development. By establishing this framework, we hope to instill in Tunisian universities the culture of service that has been observed in U.S. institutions. This will lead to future generations of Tunisians who are prepared to be actively engaged members of society.
In March 2004, our partnership program hosted ten professors from the Tunisian Institut Supérieur de Comptabilité et d'Administration des Entreprises (ISCAE) of the University of Manouba for a two week workshop in collaboration with UGA's Institute of Higher Education. The workshop offered training in various higher education management topics, including university public service and outreach. Out of all the topics covered the delegation selected university public service and outreach as a most promising direction for Tunisia. In June 2006, our Partnership Program hosted a University of Sousse delegation of ten administrators, professors and students for a week-long workshop on university public service and outreach and building effective linkages between the university and the community. The workshop offered several presentations and site visits showcasing UGA's expertise in public service and outreach, and outlined successful community and civic engagement programs. Twenty-two UGA professors and administrators from around campus contributed to this workshop. In July 2008, our Partnership Program hosted a workshop in Tunisia in collaboration with the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education on various important topics concerning higher education. One of the primary goals of the workshop was to promote engagement of the university within the community on a national scale and showcase UGA's experience in university community partnerships and service learning. In January 2010, building on our previous efforts and the interest they generated in university public service and outreach, we conducted a capacity building workshop in Sousse Tunisia. The workshop which brought together 100 professors and graduate students from three Tunisian universities (Sousse, Sfax, Jendouba), as well as Tunisian representatives of nonprofit organizations accomplished the following five goals:
Further promoted faculty and student engagement within the community as not only a viable vehicle for development but also an invaluable opportunity for hands on learning and civic engagement.
Provided a forum for workshop participants to come together and discuss social and economic development issues of particular concern to Tunisia at the present time.
Further demystified the process of university/community partnerships by showcasing successful UGA projects involving faculty, students, and the community. In particular, our delegation elaborated on the process of identifying, conceptualizing, creating, and conducting partnership projects, the roles played by all involved, especially the students, the impact of these partnerships on students’ learning as well as impact on the community.
Catalyzed the emergence of new university-community collaboration within participating universities and the conceptualization of concrete projects to be pursued by faculty and their students.
Created a roadmap and established a structure and a framework to support, sustain, and advocate for faculty and student outreach efforts within Tunisian universities.
Currently, UGA is working with the universities of Sousse, Sfax and Jendouba on a total of 12 university-community outreach projects. The projects range from using technology to assist in the care of patients with cerebral palsy, to creating a culture of entrepreneurship, to revitalizing abandoned parks, to reaching out to elementary and secondary students to promote leadership skills. The buy-in, enthusiasm and energy with which administrators, faculty, and students in Tunisia have adopted this concept and the depth and relevance of the projects they have conceptualized and engaged in is very impressive and encouraging. This grassroots effort will not only lead to a better education for Tunisian students and contribute to social and economic development in Tunisia, but it will also provide a new and innovative collaboration framework between faculty and students from UGA and Tunisia.
The main innovation behind the UGA-Tunisia Partnership is the grassroots method it employs. The model provides community engagement knowledge and expertise, and then challenges local universities, to design their own outreach projects using these resources. The resulting projects are of an inherently grassroots nature, because of the necessary local conceptualization and implementation. This approach essentially reverses the traditional dynamic of international aid and educational partnerships. Rather than one partner holding a domineering position, both partners begin on a level playing field and use each other’s strengths and resources to build sustainable development projects.
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