UCT Engaged Scholarship Programme 2016

Dear colleagues and students

You are invited to participate in the 2016 Engaged Scholarship Programme offered annually under the auspices of the University Social Responsiveness Committee and the Research Office. The Engaged Scholarship Programme provides a space for professional development for University of Cape Town staff who wish to embed high quality engagement in their research and/or teaching, and are interested in exploring the transformative possibilities of engaged scholarship. The deadline for expression of interest is 07 March 2016.

This programme is for people who are interested in enhancing the quality and societal impact of their research or teaching through community or public engagement; people who would like to work with others across faculties, to develop their capacity for research and teaching that involves engagement with groups that are external to the university, and those who would like to be part of a group that helps to shape an institutional culture which supports, recognizes and rewards engaged scholarship.

Participants: The programme is designed for staff who are already active in engaged scholarship and would like to deepen their practice; OR staff who are not yet engaged scholars but would like to enhance their current research or teaching through engaged scholarship with external groups or organisations.

Programme description and dates: Five workshop-seminars (12:00-14:30 on 7 April, 12 May, 2 June, 21 July, and 12 August), interspersed with some preparatory reading, reflection and brief practical applications. Experienced engaged scholars from UCT will lead the workshop-seminars or present aspects of their work. Topics include: case studies of engaged scholarship in action; institutional policies pertaining to engaged scholarship; documenting engaged scholarship for academic promotion and/or publication; and current international debates on engaged scholarship. Participants will be eligible for mentoring on funding proposals, journal articles and ad hominem promotion applications that incorporate components of engaged scholarship.

Programme Planning Team: Shirley Pendlebury (Programme Convenor; Education); David Cooper (Sociology); Judy Favish (Director: Institutional Planning); Tinashe Mutsvangwa (Biomedical Engineering); Sonwabo Ngcelwane (Senior Planning Officer, Social Responsiveness); Sophie Oldfield (African Centre for Cities).

Views from the 2015 participants

Participants in last year's programme commented on the insight they gained into the complexities involved in engaged scholarship; “how to tackle the complexities of building relationships in which communities are not just recipients of academic knowledge, but collaborators with researchers and students in generating solutions to community problems”; and the value of case studies and panel discussions by experienced engaged scholars at UCT.

Deadline for expressions of interest: If you are interested in participating in the 2016 programme, please send an expression of interest to Sonwabo Ngcelwane at: sonwabo.ngcelwane@uct.ac.za by 7 March 2016, including:

(i) Your name and contact details;

(ii) A brief statement (100-250 words) about why are you applying for this programme

(iii) A brief concept note (150-300 words) describing a current project, grant proposal or other initiative in engaged scholarship that you would like to develop further; and

(iv) A one-page summary of your CV.

There is place for up to 20 participants. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available places, there will be a selection procedure. Successful applicants will be asked to sign a commitment form, approved by their head of department. For a list of selection criteria, a copy of the commitment form and further information on the programme, please contact Sonwabo Ngcelwane at: sonwabo.ngcelwane@uct.ac.za.

Sincerely,

Professor Anwar Mall
Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor

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