{"id":43167,"date":"2026-09-22T13:36:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T13:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=43167"},"modified":"2026-09-23T12:18:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T12:18:52","slug":"vut-strategic-workshop-charts-new-course-for-socially-engaged-scholarship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/vut-strategic-workshop-charts-new-course-for-socially-engaged-scholarship\/","title":{"rendered":"VUT strategic workshop charts new course for socially engaged scholarship"},"content":{"rendered":"

“VUT’s strategic workshop explores Socially Engaged Scholarship, inclusive innovation and community partnerships, with leading insights from Professor Vhonani Netshandama.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

22 September 2026 | Story by: Staff Reporter | Picture: Supplied<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 4 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n
\n Guest speaker Professor Vhonani Netshandama (centre), Director of Community Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Inclusive Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of Venda, is flanked by VUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Khehla Ndlovu (left) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation, Commercialisation and Internationalisation (RICI) Professor Siphiwe Nelane (right), together with workshop participants at VUT’s two-day Community Engagement Strategic Workshop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Universities can no longer afford to view communities as passive recipients of knowledge but must recognise them as equal partners in solving society’s most pressing challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the central message delivered by Professor Vhonani Netshandama, Director of Community Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Inclusive Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of Venda, during a keynote address at the Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) two-day strategic workshop on Socially Engaged Scholarship held on 15 and 16 September 2026 at the Quest Conference Centre in Vanderbijlpark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing senior management, directors, academics and faculty representatives, Prof Netshandama challenged universities to rethink traditional approaches to community engagement and adopt more collaborative, inclusive and socially responsive models of knowledge creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Socially Engaged Scholarship creates an opportunity for universities and communities to work together in the co-creation of knowledge, while ensuring that the benefits of innovation and knowledge are shared equitably,” said Prof Netshandama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held under the theme “From Community Engagement to Socially Engaged Scholarship”, the workshop marked an important milestone in VUT’s efforts to strengthen the relationship between teaching and learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the need to move beyond outreach and service-oriented approaches towards partnerships that place communities at the centre of knowledge production and problem-solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof Netshandama emphasised that meaningful societal impact depends on collaboration between universities, government, industry and civil society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Inclusive innovation requires partnerships built on mutual trust, respect, reciprocity and mutual benefit. Universities cannot address complex socio-economic challenges in isolation; meaningful impact requires government, industry, universities and civil society to work together,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She further highlighted the importance of the Quadruple Helix model, which promotes collaboration between these sectors to ensure that innovation responds to real societal needs while creating opportunities for communities to participate in and benefit from development processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshop was organised by the VUT Community Engagement Department under the leadership of Mr Joseph Norman Radebe, Director of Community Engagement, who described the move towards Socially Engaged Scholarship as a critical institutional priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The move from Community Engagement to Socially Engaged Scholarship is a collective institutional calling. We need to move beyond working in silos and bring faculties, academics and institutional stakeholders together to strengthen VUT’s community engagement footprint,” said Mr Radebe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Mr Radebe, the workshop provided an opportunity for the University to reflect on its existing engagement activities and explore ways to better integrate them with the institution’s academic mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our communities should not simply be recipients of what the University provides. They must be recognised as partners in knowledge creation and as active agents in addressing the challenges affecting their societies,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discussions highlighted the growing importance of approaches such as service learning, community-based learning, engaged research, work-integrated learning and challenge-based learning in bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world societal challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants acknowledged that VUT already has a strong portfolio of initiatives involving schools, communities, government departments, industry, non-governmental organisations and civil society. These initiatives span several areas, including legal services, digital literacy, environmental sustainability, food security and early childhood development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, delegates also identified challenges relating to fragmented reporting, limited coordination and the visibility of the University’s collective societal impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To address these challenges, participants proposed the development of a university-wide engagement database, an institutional impact dashboard and common reporting mechanisms that would enable the University to better measure and communicate the impact of its engagement activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshop also explored the relationship between Socially Engaged Scholarship, innovation and commercialisation. Participants examined how universities can advance innovation while ensuring that knowledge creation, intellectual property and commercial opportunities remain inclusive and beneficial to communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the priorities identified were stronger institutional integration, increased collaboration across faculties, the promotion of co-created research, curriculum transformation and the development of long-term partnerships with external stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second day of the workshop focused on implementation and sustainability. Faculty representatives examined how flagship projects could be aligned with institutional priorities, key performance indicators and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discussions further highlighted the need for staff development, scholarship training, dedicated funding, seed grants and institutional recognition for academics whose work demonstrates measurable societal impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supported by the leadership of Professor Khehla Ndlovu, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, and Professor Speech Nelana, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commercialisation, the strategic process signals VUT’s commitment to embedding Socially Engaged Scholarship as a core component of its academic mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the University advances this agenda, the workshop has laid the foundation for a more integrated approach to engagement, one that positions communities as partners in knowledge creation and strengthens the University’s contribution to social, economic and environmental development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversations led by Prof Netshandama challenged participants to reimagine the role of universities in society, not as institutions that simply generate knowledge, but as active collaborators working alongside communities to create solutions, drive innovation and deliver meaningful societal impact.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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