The North-West University (NWU) is pleased to announce its upcoming Community Engagement Stakeholders Forum meetings, scheduled to take place across its three campuses in Mahikeng, Potchefstroom and Vanderbijlpark.
We acknowledge that social dynamics and the complexity of challenges faced by our communities necessitate universities such as the NWU to have strategic partnerships with external partners to achieve a sustainable impact. To attain this, we are guided by the NWU Strategic Plan: 2024 and beyond, which employs community engagement (CE) as an important catalyst to drive teaching and learning (T&L) and research and innovation (R&I).
Therefore, these annual stakeholders forum meetings represent a significant step forward in our mission to engage meaningfully with all our communities and drive positive change. “We look forward to fostering innovative partnerships and tackling societal challenges together as we get to know one another,” says Bibi Bouwman, director of Sustainability and Community Impact.
The forum meetings also aim to strengthen the NWU's ties with current and potential stakeholders. These ties are aimed at fostering strategic collaborations between various sectors and academia to create opportunities for students’ placement for service learning and co-creation of knowledge through research. This initiative underscores the university's commitment to becoming a more responsive and inclusive institution.
An invitation is extended to all civil society organisations, schools, faith-based organisations, industry partners, local government institutions and the business sector to join the forum and explore opportunities for collaborative impact.
We have invited a renowned guest speaker, Ms Monica Brown, who will be talking to us about empathetic leadership. The title of her talk is “Leading with heart and mind: the importance of empathy and authority in community development”.
Monica Brown, a South African activist and social entrepreneur, has transformed her personal experience as a survivor of gender-based violence into a global mission for justice and equality. As the founder of SCREAMZA, a voluntary organisation promoting awareness of and response to gender-based violence (GBV), and through her consultancy, South Africa Scream Pty Ltd, she works to ensure that organisations implement effective diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and GBV programmes. Her activism has gained international recognition, and she continues to mentor global advocates and push for systemic change, using her platform to challenge norms and create a more equitable world.
Please click here for more information about the upcoming Community Engagement Stakeholders Forum meetings.
Forum meeting details:
- Mahikeng Campus: 16 October 2024 10:30 – 12:30
- Potchefstroom Campus: 17 October 2024 10:30 –- 12:30
- Vanderbijlpark Campus: 18 October 2024 10:30 – 12:30
Registration: Interested stakeholders can register using the following link:
For enquiries, contact Mr Lester Mpolokeng and Tumelo Legae on the details below: Tumelo Legae: tumelo.legae@nwu.ac.za 0182852598/0726532766 Lester Mpolokeng: lester.mpolokeng@nwu.ac.za 0183892951
