The Global South to the front

critical questions from two South-South dialogues on community engagement

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21504/ajhece.v1i2.2517

Keywords:

Community Engagement, South-South partnerships, global dialogue, Global South

Abstract

In this article, I will reflect on the importance of two recent “South-South” exchanges organized by faculty and leadership from the Universidad de la República in Uruguay and Rhodes University in South Africa. I believe these encounters represent an innovative and much-needed alternative to collaborations where Global North voices are most prominent and Global South is reduced to an object of study. Finally, I identify five critical questions that emerged in these conversations for future South-South dialogues in the field: What is the Global South? Why should we have a dialogue? What should that dialogue look like? What are the main challenges for a South-South dialogue? What can the Global North learn from a South-South dialogue on community engagement?

Author Biography

  • Matías G. Flores, Cornell University

    Matías G. Flores
    Cornell University
    mf785@cornell.edu
    ORCID: 0000-0002-3820-9681

References

Bernasconi, A. (2015). Is There a Latin American University Model? International Higher Education, 52. https://doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2008.52.8031 DOI: https://doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2008.52.8031

Cano, A., & Tommasino, H. (2017). Los caminos de la extensión en la Universidad de la República de Uruguay en la última década: Avances, retrocesos, encrucijadas. In J. O. Castro & H. Tommasino (Eds.), Los caminos de la extensión en América Latina y el Caribe (pp. 31–51). Universidad Nacional de la Pampa. https://www.ufmg.br/proex/renex/images/documentos/Los-caminos-de-la-extension-en-america-latina-y-elcaribe.pdf

Department of Education. (1997). Education White Paper 3: A Programme for Higher Education Transformation. (No. 18207). Pretoria: Government Printers. https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/18207gen11960.pdf

Flores, M. G., Colacci, R., & Cano, A. (2023). Critical community engagement and the Latin American ethos: Contributions to a Global South dialogue. African Journal of Higher Education Community Engagement, 1(1), 64–82. https://doi.org/10.21504/ajhece.v1i1.2473 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21504/ajhece.v1i1.2473

Global University Network for Innovation (Ed.). (2014). GUNI series on the social commitment of universities. 5: Knowledge, engagement and higher education: contributing to social change / Global University Network for Innovation. Palgrave Macmillan. https://www.guninetwork.org/higher-education-in-the-world-5-2013/

McIlrath, L., Lyons, A., & Munck, R. (Eds.). (2012). Higher Education and Civic Engagement. Comparative perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan US. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137074829 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137074829

Rhodes University. (2024, May 23). The multifaceted dynamics of South-South partnerships. https://www.ru.ac.za/communityengagement/latestnews/themultifaceteddynamicsofsouth-southpartnerships.html

Rhodes University. (n.d.). Nine Tenths Mentoring Programme. Retrieved November 17, 2024, from https://www.ru.ac.za/communityengagement/engagedcitizenry/ninetenths910ths/

Sibhensana, B., & Maistry, S. (2021). Conceptualising public-private partnerships for social innovation through community engagement in higher education institutions. South African Journal of Higher Education, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.20853/37-1-5669 DOI: https://doi.org/10.20853/37-1-5669

Tapia, M. N., Giorgetti, D., Furco, A., Weigert, K. M., Vinciguerra, A., González, A., González, E. L., Hok-Ka, C. M., & Bouwman, B. (2024). Towards a Global History of Service-Learning. CLAYSS. Centro Latinoamericano de Aprendizaje y Servicio Solidario. https://www.uniservitate.org/2024/03/12/towards-a-global-history-of-servicelearning/

Universidad de la República. (n.d.-a). Para el prorrector de Extensión y Actividades en el Medio, las jornadas de diálogo Sur-Sur abordaron temáticas que “no se pueden eludir” en la etapa actual de “reorganización” de la extensión universitaria. Retrieved November 17, 2024, from https://www.extension.udelar.edu.uy/blog/2024/03/18/para-elprorrector- de-extension-las-jornadas-de-dialogo-sur-sur-abordaron-tematicas-que-nose- pueden-eludir-en-la-etapa-actual-de-reorganizacion-de-la-extension-un/

Universidad de la República. (n.d.-b). Publicaciones. Retrieved November 17, 2024, from https://www.extension.udelar.edu.uy/publicaciones/

Watson, D., Hollister, R., Stroud, S. E., & Babcock, E. (2011). The engaged university: International perspectives on civic engagement. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2013.828373 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203818763

Downloads

Published

2024-12-11

How to Cite

Flores, M. (2024). The Global South to the front: critical questions from two South-South dialogues on community engagement. African Journal of Higher Education Community Engagement, 1(2), 99-105. https://doi.org/10.21504/ajhece.v1i2.2517