Transform Issue 7- Engagement: The Next Twenty Years are Crucial!

WELCOME – Engagement: The Next Twenty Years are Crucial!

Reflecting on the range, the reach and the depth of contributions to this Issue of Transform themed Engagement: the next twenty years are crucial! it is striking just how far we have come in defining and shaping the concept of engagement.

Established in 2003 by Western Sydney University’s then Vice Chancellor, Professor Jan Reid, and with unanimous support from the Australian Vice Chancellor’s Committee, Engagement Australia (EA) was formed and quickly became recognised as the peak body for engaged universities in Australia.

The nation needed to invest in the public realm and services, in order to build a more resilient economy and society, and higher education was to be at the heart of this challenge. As we look to the next twenty-year horizon HE leaders continue to wrestle with the conundrum: ‘Can the promises made in the past about the need for a more equal and socially just society through a more engaged education process be redeemed in the future?’ This crucial question persists as we look to reset, renew and rejuvenate our cherished sector through the Accord process

Summary of Articles

Article 1 – Engagement Australia Position Stand on Community-Engaged Universities: Enhancing Civic Impact through Engaged Partnerships
Dr Matthew Pink, Professor Jessica Vanderlelie, Dr Peter Binks, The Hon. Professor Verity Firth and Professor Jim Nyland

VC View Point 1 – Reimagining the Public role of Universities
Professor Barney Glover AO

VC View Point 2 – A University’s Place in Thriving Communities
Professor Zlatko Skrbis

International Article 1 – Civic Connections: How UK universities are pivoting to more place-based approaches and the implications for Australia
Natalie Day

Practice Article 1 – The Stakeholder Engaged Scholarship Unit (SESU): An institutional approach to community-led research
Dr Jillian Cox, Vivien Cinque and Dr Matthew Pink

Case Study 1 – Engaging for impact: the SA Housing Authority and Centre for Social Impact, Flinders University strategic partnership to support the transformation of the specialist homelessness services landscape in SA
Flinders University

Case Study 2 – ACU’s Community -Engaged Learning Approach – An Evolving Story
Australian Catholic University

Case Study 3 – Medicine in Context: A Model for Community -Engaged Medical Education
Western Sydney University