The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Community Engagement Office recently hosted a Social Engagement Benchmarking Visit with a delegation from the University of Fort Hare (UFH), creating a platform for knowledge exchange, institutional learning and the exploration of opportunities to strengthen community engagement across the higher education sector.
The benchmarking visit focused on social engagement policies, institutional structures, community engagement practices, strategic partnerships, monitoring systems and impact assessment mechanisms. The engagement aimed to strengthen institutional social responsiveness by sharing good practices, reflecting on common challenges and exploring collaborative approaches to enhancing community engagement initiatives.
Welcoming the delegation, Ms Phumzile Xulu, Engagement Practitioner in the DUT Community Engagement Office, emphasised the importance of creating spaces where institutions can share experiences, learn from one another and collectively identify approaches that strengthen community engagement.
“This benchmarking visit is about more than sharing what we do as institutions; it is about learning from one another, exchanging good practices and identifying opportunities for meaningful collaboration. Community engagement is most impactful when it is built on mutual benefit, co-creation and partnerships that improve the lives and livelihoods of the communities we serve,” said Xulu.
Xulu also outlined DUT’s strategic approach to community engagement, which is guided by the University’s ENVISION2030 Strategy and community engagement policies. She highlighted the importance of integrating teaching and learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and engagement to create meaningful impact in communities.
The engagement brought together representatives from key areas across DUT, including Research and Postgraduate Support (RPS), Corporate Affairs, International Education and Partnerships (IEP), the Institutional Research Ethics Committee (IREC), the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Research (CSERI), the Faculty of Management Sciences, the Faculty of Applied Sciences, the Faculty of Health Sciences, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Champions (IECs).
Providing insight into the integration of community engagement within the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ms Dorinda Borg, Head of the Department of Somatology, highlighted the role of community engagement in supporting the Faculty’s teaching, learning, research and innovation agenda.
She showcased initiatives through which students and academics work alongside hospitals, clinics, schools, non-governmental organisations and underserved communities to provide health services while gaining valuable real-world experience. Through multidisciplinary collaboration across the Faculty’s 11 departments, these initiatives contribute to student development while strengthening access to healthcare and responding to community needs.
“Community engagement is at the heart of everything we do. It is integrated into our teaching, research and innovation because we believe that the best health professionals are those who learn alongside communities, respond to their needs and build partnerships that improve lives. By working together, we are transforming learning into impact while developing graduates who are socially responsive and committed to making a meaningful difference,” said Borg.
The benchmarking discussions further explored the systems and practices required to support impactful community engagement within higher education. Key areas included policy and strategic frameworks, stakeholder partnerships, monitoring and evaluation, and the integration of engagement across teaching and learning, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Participants highlighted the importance of building reciprocal partnerships with communities, government departments, industry, civil society organisations and other strategic stakeholders to address societal challenges and create sustainable impact.
Monitoring and evaluation also emerged as an important area of discussion, with delegates sharing experiences on measuring the impact of community engagement initiatives through appropriate frameworks, data collection methodologies and evidence-based reporting. Participants acknowledged the challenges of capturing meaningful social impact and emphasised the need for robust monitoring and evaluation systems to support informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
Throughout the engagement, both institutions reaffirmed the importance of collaborative leadership, ethical governance and reciprocal partnerships in advancing meaningful community engagement. The visit also identified opportunities for continued knowledge sharing, capacity building and future collaboration between DUT and UFH.
As the benchmarking visit concluded, both institutions expressed their commitment to strengthening relationships beyond the engagement and exploring mutually beneficial initiatives that contribute to improving lives and livelihoods in communities.
The DUT Community Engagement Office expressed its appreciation to the University of Fort Hare delegation and all DUT colleagues who contributed to the success of the visit.
Pictured: DUT and UFH delegates
Phumeza Msongelwa
