Social Responsiveness Report 2011

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Social Responsiveness Report 2011 •Section one SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS REPORT 2011 UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS REPORT 2011 1 •Introduction Our mission UCT aspires to become a premier academic meeting point between South Africa, the rest of Africa and the world. Taking advantage of expanding global networks and our distinct vantage point in Africa, we are committed, through innovative research and scholarship, to grapple with the key issues of our natural and social worlds. We aim to produce graduates whose qualifications are internationally recognised and locally applicable, underpinned by values of engaged citizenship and social justice. UCT will promote diversity and transformation within our institution and beyond, including growing the next generation of academics. 2 UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS REPORT 2011 •Introduction Contents Foreword by the Vice-Chancellor . 2 Preface . 3 Introduction . 5 Progress Report on the Vice-Chancellor’s Four Strategic Initiatives 11 1 . African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) . 12 2 . Poverty and Inequality Initiative (PII) . 22 3 . Safety and Violence Initiative (SaVI) . 34 4 . School Improvement Initiative (SII) . 42 Section Two: Progress Report on Partnerships with Various Levels of Government and Civil Society 53 Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC) . 54 Research contracts . 56 Knowledge Co-op . 58 Section Three: Initiatives Aimed at Promoting Values of Engaged Citizenship and Social Justice amongst Students 63 Global Citizenship . 64 Voluntary student activities . 67 Section Four: Report on Continuing Education Courses offered in 2011 71 Introduction . 72 Commerce . 74 Graduate School of Business . 76 Engineering and Built Environment . 78 Law . 84 Humanities . 89 The Centre for Open Learning (COL) . 90 References 92 Appendix: High-Level Summaries of Faculty-Based Activities Related to each Strategic Theme 95 Introduction . 96 1 . African Climate Development Initiative (ACDI) . 97 2 . Safety and Violence Initiative (Savi) . 104 3 . School Improvement Initiative . 109 4 . Poverty and Inequality Initiative . 113 The 2011 Social Responsiveness Report is dedicated to the memory of Dr Neville Alexander, a scholar and grassroots activist UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS REPORT 2011 1 •Foreword Foreword by the Vice- Chancellor UCT aspires to be a globally competitive, research led institution . This aspiration demands that UCT produces not only good quality research which can stand its ground globally but also research which will have a positive impact on society . South Africa, Africa and the world face a multitude of challenges and against this backdrop UCT has decided to take a more strategic approach to the ways in which it mobilises its resources . To this end UCT’s Strategic Plan 2010-2014 committed the university to four institution-wide initiatives: climate change and development, safety and violence, public schooling and poverty and inequality . The first of these initiatives is the African Climate & Development Initiative (ACDI) . The ACDI’s vision is to be an interdisciplinary research hub that brings together academics with NGOs, business The final initiative is the Poverty & Inequality and government in a knowledge factory that Initiative (PII) . It was set up at UCT to tackle the coproduces and tests new insights, evidence and question of why, in a country of rich resources, innovations that will help to solve Africa’s climate poverty and inequality are persisting and even, and development challenges . As the report in the case of inequality, deepening . In late 2011 indicates a great deal of tremendous work is Professor Francis Wilson was appointed as the taking place here . Professor Mark New is the Pro- Acting Pro-VC for this initiative . Vice chancellor for this initiative . The 2011 SR report is the beginning of a process The second initiative is the Safety and Violence to capture and showcase how a number of groups Initiative (SaVI) . SaVI comprises a core group across faculties are engaging with the strategic of researchers with a mandate to focus on initiatives . The report reveals the range of understanding and intervening in the promotion of activities that are taking place in faculties . These safety and the reduction of violence (in particular activities reveal the commitment of academics to criminal violence) in South Africa . draw on their scholarly expertise and work across disciplines to solve the country’s challenges . It The Schools Improvement Initiative (SII) is the also reveals the extent to which the concept of third of these initiatives . It focuses on the troubled engaging external constituencies in solving the school setting in South Africa which not only has challenges is beginning to engender new practices negative implications for the country as a whole in community-university partnerships . The but poses serious challenges for tertiary education . Knowledge Co-op which builds on the tradition It works in Khayelitsha and has opened up a key of community-university partnerships aims to relationship between UCT and the community make it easier for community partners to access there . This initiative is led by Dr Jonathan Clark . UCT’s skills, resources and professional expertise . 2 UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS REPORT 2011 •Preface With regard to students the Global Citizenship Like our counterparts internationally, UCT (GC) Programme aims to expose students in all recognises the need for increased attention to the faculties to questions of knowledge relating lifelong learning . The plethora of continuing to global citizenship and social justice beyond education courses offered at UCT is an expression their degree requirements, to develop capacity of how seriously UCT takes the need to improve for leadership on contemporary global and social the education and skills levels of the general justice issues and to promote their awareness community . of themselves as future global citizens . The programme also promotes social justice causes I would like to express my sincere thanks to the through community service/volunteering . GC University Social Responsiveness Committee and all articulates UCT commitment to producing high those who work so tirelessly to raise the profile of quality professional graduates but also graduates the university through the important work they do . who are conscious of their role as citizens in a democracy . Dr Max Price, Vice-Chancellor Preface The Social Responsiveness Report for 2011 is considerably different in its format and approach to those of earlier years . What this report hopes to do is to provide an overview of the range and depth of social responsive activity inside the University . It does not yet provide a comprehensive report of all the social responsiveness activity that is taking place at UCT . That said, acknowledging that there is much that is not covered in this report, the account of what is happening in UCT is impressive . As the report shows, important strides are being made in four of the areas that the VC designated at his inauguration as strategic priorities . Also important is the extensive range of collaborative activities taking place between the University and the province and city, the initiative that the University has taken to build relationships with communities through the Knowledge Co-Op and The final section of the report is devoted to the work that is being done with students in the highlights of the multiple activities taking place in Global Citizenship and Social Justice Programme . the faculties . I would appreciate feedback on the The report also covers the depth of continuing approach we have taken this year . We would like to education courses offered by the university . This know how well our report works in giving readers a is in recognition of the fact that lifelong is an ideal sense of what to do . to strive for in improving the education and skills levels of our people . Professor Crain Soudien, Deputy Vice-Chancellor UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS REPORT 2011 3 •Introduction Students parttake in Green Week at UCT 4 UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS REPORT 2011 •Introduction Introduction In the conclusion to his keynote address at the Council on Higher Education consultative conference in 1999, Badat stated that the post-1994 policy goals for the transformation of higher education in South Africa implore Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to “… support a democratic ethos and a culture of human rights by promoting educational programmes and practices that are conducive to critical discourse and creative thinking, cultural tolerance and a common commitment to a humane, just, non-racist and nonsexist social order” (Nkomo et al, 2006:59). This approach to conceptualising the role of higher education in contributing to development is in line with international trends which reflect an increased emphasis on the role of higher education in contributing to democracy and inclusive societies (Trowler, 1998; Stanton, 2007; Charles, 2006). Badat suggested that universities needed to reflect approach to enhancing UCT’s contribution to more rigorously on how they produce addressing development challenges . The Plan “… professionals and researchers who can think articulates a commitment to appoint experts to lead theoretically, analyse with rigour, gather empirical and coordinate interdisciplinary projects in four data, and do this with a deep social conscience areas: safety and violence; public schooling; climate and
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