Community engagement as a cornerstone enabling learning and teaching and research in the post modern world

Abstract

This paper demonstrates how community engagement can provide a cornerstone enabling research and learning and teaching to meet the challenges of relativity and uncertainty in a post modern world. In the field of education, the question of relevance is a constant criticism. If relevance is to be achieved, research andlearning and teaching need to be interwoven with community and community concerns, in ways that enhancethe outcomes for all stakeholders. The paper examines an academic’s university community engagement practice from a reflexive and cross disciplinary perspective. It seeks to identify the characteristics and qualities that define successful university community engagement practice while identifying that there needs to be recognition and reward for universities to have more academics involved in such successful and sustainable university community engagement practice.