By Zindzi Nkunzi

On 14 May 2024, a three-day Community Engagement Conference hosted by Rhodes University kicked off. Attended by scholars worldwide, the conference focuses on the history of community engagement in universities, exploring its milestones and impact while considering further actions to fortify a cohesive community-university-society partnership.

The conference seeks to contribute to the knowledge base concerning community engagement, examining the dynamic between community, university, and society in South Africa and internationally.

In her opening remarks, Rhodes University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, Professor ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, expressed appreciation for the strides made in community engagement. She commended Ms Di Hornby, Director of the Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) Division, and her team for their exemplary efforts in enhancing community engagement. “We are immensely proud of our community engagement team, led by Ms Di Hornby, for their outstanding contributions,” she stated.

“Today, we commemorate the significant advancements made by South African universities in establishing community engagement as a pivotal element of their academic endeavours. We celebrate this transformation from what was previously termed ‘community service’,” she remarked.

Acknowledging ongoing challenges, Professor Monnapula-Mapesela recognised the efforts to bridge the divide traditionally perceived between higher education institutions and their local communities. “While we honour this history, we also recognise the continuous need to dismantle the 'Ivory Tower' mentality and to enhance our engagement strategies for more significant impact and public benefit,” she noted and suggested a reflective approach: “We must consider how community engagement can be genuinely integrated into our academic initiatives. We should continuously envision our interactions to improve connections with our communities.”

Professor Andre Keet, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Engagement and Transformation at Nelson Mandela University, was the session’s keynote speaker. He discussed the importance of re-envisioning university practices and systems to foster a transformative institution aligned with community needs. He introduced the concept of an 'engagement transformation interface' as a practical strategy for rethinking the university structure. “We advocate for liberated forms of epistemic freedom, engagement activities, and institutional cultures,” he explained.

He outlined the historical context of transformation within the education sector, influenced by the challenges of post-apartheid South Africa and globalisation. “We have identified a three-tier model of transformation,” he stated, detailing:

1. The land scale reconfiguration of the system.
2. Responses to global and local processes and influences.
3. Social justice and human rights programming.

Professor Keet alluded that the first tier relates to the post-1994 focus of the South African state on policy constructions to pave the way for the restructuring and development of society to deal with the multifaceted and deprived inheritance from the apartheid era.

Keet explained that the second tier “is associated with steering global, regional, and local forces within which the system is entangled. The principles and concepts of the first two tiers thus address themselves to systemic changes within a sector influenced by global forces in the aftermath of apartheid”.

He views the third tier as the weakest because it has hardly been a focus in transformative ways. This tier focuses on mobilising the language of human rights, non-discrimination, equality, cultural tolerance, and a common commitment to a human, non-racist and non-sexist social order. “This tier is linked to the orientation and character of the university,” he said.

He concluded by urging a commitment to more proactive, engaged scholarship to foster social responsiveness, advocating for universities to be adaptable and responsive while maintaining their foundational structures.

The Community Engagement Conference will run until 16 May 2024.