CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
18–20 November 2025 | Coastlands Hotel, Musgrave, Durban
Day 1: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Programme Director: Prof Alfred Msomi
Plenary & Keynote Sessions
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 08:00 - 09:00 | REGISTRATION & TEA |
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Welcome Address | DVC: Research and Innovation |
| 09:15 - 09:30 | Conference Opening Address |
| 09:30 - 09:40 | Introduction of Keynote Speaker |
| 09:40 - 10:10 | Keynote Address 1: "Closing the Knowledge Gap: Harnessing the Scholarship of Engagement as a Strategic Vehicle for Inclusive Community Empowerment" |
| 10:10 - 10:20 | Engagement with keynote speaker |
| 10:20 - 10:30 | ENTERTAINMENT: MUT CHOIR |
| 10:30 - 11:10 | Panel Discussion: Barriers and Opportunities for Scholarship of Engagement: Why the Scholarship of Engagement Struggles to Gain Full Academic Recognition. What Can Be Done About this? |
| 11:10 - 11:30 | TEA / REFRESHMENTS |
Parallel Breakaway Sessions (11:30 - 13:30)
| Time | Room 1 (Sub-Theme 1) | Room 2 (Sub-Theme 2&3) | Room 3 (Sub-Theme 2&3) | Room 4 (Sub-Theme 4) | Room 5 (Sub-Theme 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 - 11:50 | Community Engagement as a Pedagogical Tool in Engineering Education: A Review of the Curriculum Design Dilemmas | Integrating community and technical imperatives for sustainable small-scale mining: A case study from Tzaneen, South Africa | Decolonising Conservation and Democratizing Knowledge: Insights from the Wild Connect Approach to Community-Engaged Scholarship | Indigenous practices and science for sustainable community-based water quality monitoring in the Orange-Senqu Basin | Nutritional status and food consumed in children aged 6-23 months residing in informal settlements in Gauteng, South Africa |
| 11:55 - 12:15 | Enhancing societal impact through the co-creation of knowledge | Reimagining Postgraduate Writing Development through Engaged Scholarship: A Design-Based Intervention for Equitable Academic Support | Integrating Rigorous Mathematical Thinking in Teaching 3- Dimensional Problems in Trigonometry: A Case Study of Grade 12 Learners in South Africa | Harnessing the Social Capital of Malume and Makhadzi/Hahani for Sustainable Community Engagement and Inclusive Rural Development | Shaping futures: high school learner perceptions of career exposure through university initiatives at the Durban University of Technology |
| 12:20 - 12:40 | South African Universities mandate for Community Engagement | Reading: A communication approach on engaged scholarship towards early childhood literacy | Maximizing Societal Impact through Engaged Academic Citizenship: Insights from a Faith-Based Initiative in Mangaung Township, Bloemfontein. | National Arts Festival: Interrogating the Role of Visual Arts in the Scholarship of Engagement and Societal Change | The Role of Universities in Community Development: Lessons from the Environmental Education and Sustainability Project at Mangosuthu University of Technology |
| 12:45 - 13:05 | Framing positive practical discourses for the scholarship of community engagement | Eco-Pedagogy in Practice: A Transdisciplinary Model for Community-Based Scholarship of Engagement in Semi-Rural Schools: A Case Study | Between Curriculum and Community: Exploring the Integration of Community Engagement into Applied Mathematics Modules at a South African University of Technology | Indigenous knowledge Systems and their role in Enhancing scholarship of Engagement; Case study of the Directorate of Community Engagement Entrepreneurship, Inclusive Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of Venda | Examining Gendered Practices in Sustainable Water Security For Livestock in Rural Communities of the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve |
| 13:10 - 13:30 | A 3-continent effort: Bridging the knowledge gap through interdisciplinary specialisation in Digital Storytelling for Community Development that advances the Scholarship of Engagement (SoE) for maximum societal impact | Carefronting and ethics of care as Converged Praxis: Community Engagement as a catalyst towards responding to substance abuse through The Hope Revolution Vision | Collaborating for Social Impact: Enhancing Food Security Through Participatory Action Research | The importance of indigenous knowledge in Research: An African perspective | |
| 13:30 - 14:00 | LUNCH | ||||
Afternoon Plenary & Workshop
Programme Director 2: Dr Richard Chidzonga
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 14:00 - 14:10 | Background to videos of community projects |
| 14:10 - 14:40 | Plenary: Videos of community projects |
| 14:40 - 15:00 | Reflections on videos |
| 15:05 - 16:00 |
WORKSHOP AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS
WORKSHOP: Reimagining Community Engagement Through Space and Place in Higher Education Lightning Talks (2 mins per presenter):
|
| 16:00 - 16:20 | TEA / REFRESHMENTS |
| 16:20 | END OF DAY ONE |
Day 2: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Programme Director: Prof Phumzile Xulu
Plenary & Keynote Sessions
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:00 | REGISTRATION & TEA |
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Reflections of Day One |
| 09:15 - 09:55 | Panel discussions: "Inclusive Knowledge, Inclusive Impact: Centering Marginalized Voices in the Scholarship of Engagement". |
| 10:00 - 11:35 | BREAKAWAY SESSIONS |
Parallel Breakaway Sessions (10:00 - 11:35)
| Time | Room 1 (Sub-Theme 1) | Room 2 (Sub-Theme 2&3) | Room 3 (Sub-Theme 2&3) | Room 4 (Sub-Theme 4) | Room 5 (Sub-Theme 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 - 10:20 | Bridging The Rural Community and Campus Divide: Adapting The African Philosophies Of Ubuntu, Ujamaa, and Ubudlelane For Rural Student Success | Evaluating the Impact of TB Health Education Campaign on Knowledge, Stigma, and Health-Seeking Behaviour Among University Students in KwaZulu-Natal | Learning to Assess Differently: The Social Formation of Formative Assessment Beliefs | Restoring Ecological and Socio-Economic Balance: Investigating Indigenous Plant Species suitable for the Rehabilitation of Invasive Alien Forests in Bulwer, KwaZulu-Natal | Community Engagement as a vehicle towards Community Development: A case study of the Nine Tenths Matric Mentoring Programme |
| 10:25 - 10:45 | Engaging The Disengaged: An Analysis Of Social Justice Perspectives In Widening Students' Participation And Engagement In South African Higher Education. | Food safety training of the Informal Food Traders around Mangosuthu University of Technology, Umlazi: Community Engagement Project Case Study | Investigating the Efficacy of Integrating Service-Learning Modules on Critical Skills Development in Nature Conservation Students at Mangosuthu University of Technology | Bridging Cosmologies: The Integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Epistemic Justice and Enhanced Scholarship of Engagement in Physics Education at a South African University of Technology | Fostering Economic Independence: A Case Study on the Sithola Ulwazi Entrepreneurship Skills Development Project at MUT |
| 10:50 - 11:10 | Assessing the Impact of Whole Person Learning Methodologies - A case study of the Skills for the Future Programme | Bridging the Gap: The Role of High School Teachers in University Diagnostic Testing as a Community Development Strategy | Using an Engaged Research Approach: Exploring Community-based Heritage Management in Makhoarane, Lesotho | Integrating Agroecology, Indigenous Knowledge, And Community-Based Pedagogy In Higher Education | Harnessing Community Engagement as a Catalyst for Sustainable Community Development |
| 11:15 - 11:35 | Reimagining the scholarship of engagement as a dialectic practice | Empowering Rural Communities through Legal Education: A Consumer Rights Approach to the Scholarship of Engagement | From Theory to Practice: Implementing the Scholarship of Engagement for Transformative Societal Impact | Examining Solidarity-Driven Co-Design in a North-South University Partnership for Community Engaged Scholarship | Knowledge exchange for optimal village chicken production and household income generation: a pathway for community development |
| 11:35 - 12:05 | TEA / REFRESHMENTS | ||||
Parallel Breakaway Sessions (12:05 - 13:50)
| Time | Room 1 (Sub-Theme 1) | Room 2 (Sub-Theme 2&3) | Room 3 (Sub-Theme 2&3) | Room 4 (Sub-Theme 5) | Room 5 (Sub-Theme 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:05 - 12:25 | Energizing STEM Learning: cultivating excitement for computer and data science in rural based schools | Rural Community Engagement, Research Participation, and the Universities' Role: A Case Study of KwaZulu-Natal | Navigating Barriers: Comparative Insights of Supervisors and Postgraduate Students on Embedding Community Engagement in Academic Research | Co-design circles as vehicle for climate change adaptation | Mangosuthu University of Technology Biogas Project |
| 12:30 - 12:50 | Is community engagement a scholarship? Implications for scholarship of engagement | Partnerships are not a choice! Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: Strengthening Partnerships through the eThekwini Service-Learning Forum | Assessing the impact of collaborative partnerships in community engagement activities: A case study of a comprehensive university | A Transversal, Multi-Pronged Approach to Community Engagement in Advancing Community Development | |
| 12:50 - 13:50 | LUNCH | ||||
Afternoon Keynote & Entertainment
Programme Director 3: Phumzile Xulu
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 13:55 - 14:05 | Introduction of Keynote Speaker |
| 14:05 - 14:35 | Keynote Adress 2: "Rethinking Rigor and Relevance: The Institutional Strategies for Meaningful Scholarship of Engagement (SoE) as a powerful and transformative approach that reimagines the role of universities" |
| 14:35 - 14:45 | Engagement with Keynote Speaker |
| 14:45 - 15:00 | ENTERTAINMENT: DRAMA BY MUT STUDENTS |
| 15:05 - 15:55 | ROOM 4: Promoting Scholarship of Engagement Using Appreciative Inquiry Model |
| 15:05 - 15:10 | Introduction for poster presentation |
GALA DINNER: 19 NOVEMBER 2025
| Time | 18:30 – 21:00 (18:00 for 18:30) |
| Dress | Formal |
| Venue | Coastlands Hotel, Musgrave |
| Keynote Speaker | Dr Sam Koma (University of Johannesburg) |
| DINING & NETWORKING | |
Day 3: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Programme Director: Sthembile Nkosi
Plenary & Closing Sessions
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 08:00 - 08:30 | REGISTRATION & TEA |
| 08:30 - 08:45 | Reflections on Day 2 |
| 08:45 - 08:50 | Introduction of Keynote Speakers |
| 08:50 - 09:15 | Bridging the Science Engagement Divide: Pathways for Community-Based Knowledge Societies in South Africa |
| 09:15 - 09:30 | Engagement with keynote speaker |
| 09:30 - 09:45 | ENTERTAINMENT |
| 09:45 - 10:25 | Panel Discussions: Community Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Communities: Lessons from Practice |
| 10:25 - 10:40 | TEA / REFRESHMENTS |
Parallel Breakaway Sessions (10:45 - 12:45)
| Time | Room 1 (Sub-Theme 1) | Room 2 (Sub-Theme 2&3) | Room 3 (Sub-Theme 2&3) | Room 4 (Sub-Theme 5) | Room 5 (Sub-Theme 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:45 - 11:05 | Co-Creation And Ownership: Rethinking Technology Implementation Through Community Participation in Rural Limpopo | Advancing the Scholarship of Engagement for Societal Impact | Strengthening Integration of Teaching, Learning, and Community Engagement through Collaboration between Universities and Community-Based Organizations | University Engagement with Communities: Capacitation Towards Informed Participation in Local Government Community Development Spaces | Investigating Sustainable and Innovative Practices in the Sand Mining Industry in KwaZulu-Natal - Natal: The Case of the u Thukela River |
| 11:10 - 11:30 | Undergraduate Research as a Catalyst for Developing Graduate Attributes and Entrepreneurial Skills: A Lecturer's Perspective | Participatory Approaches to Climate Risk: Lessons from the Drakensberg Farming Community, JuKhahlamba Municipality | Evaluating Community Engagement Models at Mangosuthu University of Technology that seeks to enhance sound conservation strategies | MUT Schools and Community Cup | Investigating Water Conservation Practices in Subsistence Farming in Cedara Khanya Village, Howick |
| 11:35 - 11:55 | Investigating Co-Creation of Knowledge Strengthening the Scholarship of Engagement through Community-Academic Partnerships in Umlazi Conservation, South Africa | Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Writing Centres as Catalysts for Transdisciplinary Student Support Pedagogy | Exploring transportation challenges experienced by nonresident students at University of the Free State QwaQwa campus | Assessing The Impacts Of Climate Change On The Wellbeing Of South African Youth: A Case Of Phindavele And Qiko High Schools In Dududu | |
| 12:00 - 12:20 | Practical and Implementation Challenges of Integrating Community Engagement into Teaching, Learning and Research | Ecological Impact of Chemical Spill on Blackburn Village and Surrounding | Sustaining Grassroots Change: Lessons from the Mariann Coordinating Committee's Community-Led Development | ||
| 12:25 - 12:45 | Active Community Citizens: A Case Study of Engaged Scholarship for Regenerative Social Impact at the University of the Free State | Exploring Sustainable Byproducts Derived from Invasive Alien Plant Clearing in Communities in KZN and EC | Community Engagement as a Vehicle Towards Urban Community Development | ||
| 12:20 - 12:40 | Embedding Engagement for Impact: Practical Approaches from the University of Pretoria's Curricular Community Engagement Model |
Closing Plenary & Departure
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:45 - 13:15 | SAHECEF STATEMENT ON SCHOLARSHIP OF ENGAGEMENT: POLICY AND PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS |
| 13:15 - 13:25 | Closing remarks |
| 13:30 | LUNCH & DEPARTURE |