Cristina Escrigas, Jesús Granados Sánchez, Budd Hall and Rajesh Tandon
This Report looks at critical dimensions in our understanding of the roles, and potential roles, of higher education institutions (HEIs) as active players in contributing to social change and the creation of another possible world.
Universities are both apart from and a part of society. They are apart in the sense that they provide a critically important space for grasping the world as it is and –importantly – for re-imagining the world as it ought to be. The academic freedom to pursue the truth and let the chips fall...
At this point in history, we need to review the idea of what reality is and the mechanisms by which we produce knowledge. It is not possible to build a new world order if it does not change our perception of what reality is and what is true. It is time for a revision and an enlargement of the...
Social responsibility, a new core responsibility that complements moral and legal responsibilities, is a collective, not a personal, responsibility that fosters political creativity (Vallaeys, 2011). Whereas moral and legal responsibilities govern our acts, social responsibility governs our...
In 2008, the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia decided to establish the Division of Industry and Community Liaison at all public universities in the country. This was in addition to the existing Divisions of Academic and International Affairs, and Research and Innovation. Like the other...
Evidence from engaged universities around the world demonstrates that there is a global movement of universities dedicated to civic engagement and social responsibility. This movement contributes to societal change by enlarging existing notions of knowledge generation and impact. Experience and...
Africa’s wide diversity of culture, language, socioeconomic conditions, climate, politics and history is reflected in the diversity found in its multiple community–university engagement (CUE) approaches. African scholarship has an ancient and diverse multiethnic base that has been impacted by...
In the introductory section of this paper, a brief historical context of South Africa and its development challenges is presented. In the second part, a systems-level view of community– university engagement in South Africa will be offered. The third section puts forward a view of community–...
This paper traces the emergence and historical trajectory of Palestinian universities, noting the dramatic increase in student numbers over the past couple of decades. It underscores the fact that Palestinian universities have, since their creation, been concerned with regional and societal...
The atmosphere of the Arab Spring has amplified the importance of youth enfranchisement and engagement in all parts of the Arab World, including the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The events that took place in the region in 2011 contributed substantially to the public’s realization that youth need...
The role of higher education institutions (HEIs) has historically been recognized as a public good, with unique social responsibilities in producing knowledge for societal development and sustainability. In Asia, a region with so much disparity between rich and poor, between rural and urban, and...
While European universities have much to offer European society in the field of community engagement, there is an urgent challenge to improve their current performance. A great deal is demanded across all walks of society for the knowledge emanating from universities, and for the exchange and co...
Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) is an urban, comprehensive, public French-language university. Since its foundation, UQAM has been engaged in research and training activities with non-profit organizations. An institutional policy on community services was adopted in 1979, which led the...
Community partnerships have always been a part of higher education. Most, if not all, higher education administrators can point to numerous community-engaged projects and initiatives on their campuses. However, despite their long-standing presence in higher education, community engagement...
The day at the dawning of the 21st century on which we created a consortium of 13 universities as part of the ‘Universidad Construye País’ (University Builds Country) project now seems far off. At the time, we defined the social responsibility of universities as: the university’s ability to...
The Indigenous Intercultural University (IIU) is a collectively constructed regional academic initiative that promotes and accompanies the social transformation that is being led by the Fund for the Development of the Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (Indigenous Fund) by...
