Public and community engagement is a multi-faceted and complex activity that benefits the university and the community alike. It requires a wide range of skills in collaboration, communication and project management and broadly involves (but is not exclusive to) the communication of knowledge and the enrichment of cultural life; engagement in dialogue and the provision of service to the public and communities.
Unisa’s Community Engagement and Outreach Policy is centred on the philosophy and vision of Unisa becoming the African university shaping futures in the service of humanity. To that end, Unisa has operationalised Community Engagement (CE) as referring to initiatives and processes through which the expertise of the institution in the areas of teaching and research is applied to address issues relevant to its community to the mutual benefit of the community and the institution.
Within this, there is intentional acknowledgement that CE partnerships should be based on the basis of parity between the university and communities in informing, shaping and delivering CE outputs. In reflecting on Unisa’s CE directorate’s priorities, the College of Human Sciences’ Community Engagement aims to promote the principles of mutuality, generocity, reciprocity and equality throughout our CE activities with communities. As a result, CE initiatives do not only benefit the community but also offer the opportunity to inform and shape research, academic programmes as well as pedagogic approaches of the institution.
The CHS embarks on a number of CE projects through its various departments, institutes and centres.
Last modified: Wed Sep 11 10:29:41 SAST 2024