Reimagining university–community engagement

This article is based on a keynote address to the second Higher Education Conference in wake of Covid-19 pandemic and environmental inequality crises confronting South Africa world. After an examination societal context universities, discusses critical issues relation university-community engagement. It attempts these by firstly providing overview long-standing debates our country concerning academy’s responsibilities accountability various constituencies beyond universities gates imperative rethink scholarship engage communities meaningfully. Secondly, it will provide appreciation overarching political economy higher education corporatisation before drawing conclusions about processes that impede or allow university be responsive community The few historical contemporaneous examples work university-based researchers with communities. research those who have orientation toward working class aim democratise knowledge production highlighted. argued latter’s “praxis epistemology” (Amini 2017) assists us reimagining relations.