This seminar examines the co-creation of knowledge as a critical practice within the Scholarship of Engagement, drawing on a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study conducted in Lambert’s Bay, South Africa. In a context shaped by inequality, marginalisation, and limited access to services, the study foregrounds community members as co-researchers and co-designers of a community-based substance abuse intervention programme. Through iterative cycles of engagement including ne

Community Engaged Learning Programme (CELP) The Community Engaged Learning Programme (CELP), offered by the Community Engagement Unit (CEU) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), introduces students to the principles and practice of community engagement within the South African context. Grounded in the Scholarship of Engagement for Societal Impact (SoE-SI), the programme connects academic learning with societal needs by encouraging students to apply their disciplinary k

The HECE Conference 2026 hosted by Rhodes University in Makhanda, Eastern Cape. Dr Samantha van Schalkwyk, Acting Director of the Community Engagement Unit (CEU), and Damaris Kiewiets, Community Liaison Officer, participated in the Higher Education Community Engagement: Reparative Futures for the Cultivation of Humanity Conference, hosted by Rhodes University from 5–7 May 2026 in Makhanda, Eastern Cape. The conference brought together academics, researchers, students, governm