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CE & Scholarship of Engagement for Societal Impact at the UWC About Us It gives us great pleasure to welcome you to our Virtual Community Engagement Resource Centre in our efforts to support and enhance a Scholarship of Engagement at the UWC. Today, universities worldwide are expected and required to make a fundamental contribution to the development of civil society and human capital – along with further development of scholarly and academic activity – this is evidential in the three-part legislated role of universities – teaching & learning, research and service of which the latter is often seen as ‘community engagement’ (CE). We trust that you will benefit from this resource centre and hope to see you in person at some of our training and events in the near future. We welcome your feedback and look forward to growing this resource centre so that it can provide you with the resources and tools that you might require for your journey towards 'Excellence in Community Engagement at the UWC' . Strategic Alignment Our Mission Who we are ? Our Vision What we aspire to be ? The CEU facilitates community engagement opportunities that enhances and promotes the scholarship of engagement through equitable partnership and citizenry to promote sustainable communities. Our Values What drives us ? Scholarship of engagement : A critical attitude towards shared knowledge that recognises different cultural contexts and diversity and incorporates these aspects into community engagement teaching, theory and practice, integration and research. Partnerships : The facilitation of collaborative, reciprocal, sustainable and equitable partnerships. Critical citizenship & civic responsibility (citizenry) : A relationship and interaction with local and global communities and the environment. Social justice : Commitment to acknowledging our past and confronting issues of oppression, racism and discrimination through developing sustainable partnership. Equity : Recognition of the knowledge inherent within communities and accepting the unique strengths and shared responsibilities that each partner provides to enhancing the scholarship of community engagement at UWC. Lifelong learning : Commitment to collaborative and individual learning and critical reflection. The CEU Team What they do ? The CEU aspires to be a leading partner in the development of citizenry through equitable and sustainable collaborations, reflecting an engaged unit within UWC. CE / SoE for SI Leadership Messages Rector & Vice-Chancellor DVC - Academic Former Director, CEU Prof R Balfour Prof M Ralarala Prof P Daniels Read / Listen Read / Listen Read / Listen The early origins of CE at UWC SoE for Societal Impact Scholarship of Engagement Model The CEU sees CE as an infused addition to the three-part legislated role of HEIs. Thus, CE is the pivotal point that feeds into and from teaching / learning, research and service. Boyer’s (2008) four-model scholarships best describes this pivotal role of CE: Scholarship of Teaching (transmitting, transforming & extending knowledge); Scholarship of Discovery/Inquiry (investigation of new knowledge & contributing to the field – research); Scholarship of Application (applying knowledge in broader context, linking theory and practice – service); and Scholarship of Integration (making connections across disciplines – CE integrated into all forms of scholarship). View the SOE Model SoE-SI Framework Quick Links Terms of Reference CE Resource Centre Donate Now Get Involved Our Events Latest News Free Newsletter Visit us UWC Portal

ceu.uwc.ac.za | Community Engagement at the University of the Western Cape Welcome to the Community Engagement Unit Event Participation Photo Session Event 1/6 UWC’s Community Engagement Unit (CEU) focuses on advancing the Scholarship of Engagement for Societal Impact (SoE-SI). Drawing on an adapted version of Boyer’s Scholarships model, we position community engagement not as a peripheral activity, but as a rigorous, ethical, and transformative approach to knowledge production that should be infused throughout all the university’s activities. Grounded in reciprocity and co-creation, CEU’s work supports partnerships that bring leaders, academics, and communities into meaningful dialogue, where diverse knowledge systems are recognised and valued. Central to this is a commitment to centering the agency and voice of communities. We contribute to a research culture that is socially responsive, critically engaged, and rooted in the realities of post-apartheid South Africa. CEU’s contribution lies in expanding how societal impact is understood, enabled, and sustained. We support pathways for translating evidence-based research into institutional, societal, and global impact through collaborative, contextually grounded practices. This includes strengthening the design and implementation of community-engaged research, building capacity among academics, students, and partners, and fostering networks that enable sustained collaboration. One of our flagship projects is our Community-Engaged Learning Programme (CELP), a student training initiative that inspires UWC students to embrace leadership rooted in social justice and transformative scholarship. Our understanding of impact foregrounds social justice, mutual benefit, and sustained transformation. One of our key priorities is amplifying the visibility of UWC’s social impact engagements and research through our annual Social Impact Engagement and Scholarship of Engagement reports. Latest news HECE Conference 2026 Community Engagement (CE) and Scholarship of Engagement (SoE) Databases How to Access our Website content Upcoming Events Co-creating knowledge for Social Justice 6 days ago CELP Undergraduate Training 7 days ago Map email: ceu@uwc.ac.za Quick Links Visit Us Events Calendar Follow us ceu.uwc.ac.za

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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 needs identification, capacity strengthening, community mapping, and stakeholder collaboration the research demonstrates how locally grounded knowledge can inform contextually relevant and sustainable responses to complex social challenges. The findings highlight that meaningful participation fosters ownership, strengthens social cohesion, and builds community capacity, while also challenging conventional expert-driven models of intervention. Engaging with Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological framework, the seminar illustrates how substance abuse is embedded within interconnected systems of poverty, inequality, and social dislocation, requiring multi-level, collaborative responses. The study further reflects on the tensions inherent in co-creating knowledge, including power dynamics, competing agendas, and the practical complexities of participatory work. Positioned within post-apartheid South Africa, this seminar argues that universities have an ethical and transformative role in facilitating engaged scholarship that centres community voice, disrupts knowledge hierarchies, and advances social justice. It offers critical insights for scholars and practitioners seeking to build equitable partnerships and coproduce knowledge that leads to meaningful, sustained change. Click here to view his BIO

Community Engagement Database Showcase community engagement activities. Serve as a promotional/marketing tool as it presents viewers (on and off-campus) with information pertaining to your community engagement activities and development. Present an opportunity to access information about engagement activities on and off-campus Provides cross-links and references to community engagement activities. Provides a platform for knowledge sharing and coordination. Provides potential development of partnerships on and off-campus. Scholarship of Engagement (SoE) Database Highlights the Community Engagement citation from 2015 to 2020. The publications captured represents engaged research by UWC scholars from all faculties, support units, divisions and centres at UWC. How to gain Access The link https://ceudatabase.uwc.ac.za/portal Takes you directly to the UWC CEU Databases To view the Community Engagement Programmes, click on the left menu bar for, Public Access, Staff Access, and Executive Access. Follow instruction. You will access to both Community Engagement and Scholarship of Engagement (SoE) Databases

The annual Colloquium hosted by the CEU at the University of the Western Cape: 18 - 19 May (from 2pm - 4.30pm)

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