UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education hosted an international seminar on University-Community Engagement at PRIA on February 3, 2016 between 3-5 pm.
Social responsibility in higher education has gained considerable international attention lately, and the relevance of higher education is being tested on the benchmark of social responsibility. The deliberations towards New Education Policy in India also raise similar challenges.
UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education has focused its attention over the past four years on undertaking research and policy advocacy on this theme world-wide. A first
global study on Community-University Research Partnerships has just been released.
The speakers at the seminar included Dr Andrew Petter, President, Simon Fraser University, Canada; Dr Darren Brendan Lortan, Acting Director of Community Engagement at the Durban University of Technology; and Dr Rajesh Tandon, President, PRIA, & Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research & Social Responsibility in Higher Education. The participants at the seminar consisted of a heterogeneous group, with representatives coming from universities/colleges, civil society, policy makers, etc. The purpose of the seminar was to delve deeper into the notion and understanding of social responsibility; learn from Canadian, South African and Indian experiences and to chalk out crisp action points on how universities can realize their responsibilities towards society.
Click here to read a full report of the deliberations 