Revisiting community engagement: universities in the paradoxical context of contemporary scholarship in South Africa.

Abstract

Much of scholarly history on the South African higher education dispensation suggests that the concept of Community Engagement (CE) was relatively unknown until the late 1990s. The rise of this concept offers a plethora of opportunities for universities to interact with communities in order to promote diversity within the Higher Education (HE) sector. The integration of both research and CE by universities contribute to the intense discourse on transformation of HE through which these institutions are required to be responsive to the needs of the communities. The article employed a qualitative research approach to assess the effectiveness of the application of CE by South African universities and in the process, used questionnaires with open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews to collect data. Secondary data was limited to a review of literature. The context of its consideration is selected universities in South Africa. Recommendations and conclusion are provided.