By Yojana Sharma. Community-based research by universities, almost unknown less than a decade ago, is increasing – particularly as part of interdisciplinary research that includes a community ‘impact’ element. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. Despite rich and varied experience in the global South, there appears to be a tendency for international dialogue about university civic engagement and social responsibility to be dominated by perspectives of the global North. What are the lessons from the South?
The Talloires Network Leaders Conference held near Cape Town from 2-4 December provided a rare opportunity for universities in developing and emerging countries to highlight their experiences and views, said Professor Nieves Tapia, director of the Latin American Centre for Service-learning based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Read more...

By Ard Jongsma. Community work by university staff and students is often seen as an add-on to academic core business. But can it actually be more than that? Can it help to attract students from underrepresented groups? Can it bridge the gap between higher education and communities that have traditionally been excluded from it? And can it even benefit the core curriculum?
Those questions were key parts of the debate as the Talloires Network of 332 engaged universities in 72 countries convened its 2014 conference in Cape Town this month. Their answers seem to vary in different parts of the world. Read more...

By Yojana Sharma. While universities are increasingly encouraging students to be involved in the community and to become engaged citizens, they do not necessarily have control over activities that take place on campuses, or spill onto the streets. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. Growing numbers of university leaders worldwide are seeing community engagement as a central priority, says Professor Robert M Hollister, executive director of the Talloires Network – a global coalition of universities committed to moving beyond the ivory tower. Rather than distracting from engagement, internationalisation is “dramatically reinforcing and accelerating that trend, through people learning from and influencing one another’s work”. Read more...

By Yojana Sharma. While focused on their own citizens and areas, the growth in regional and national groups means the global network of community-engaged universities is also growing, including the network of networks, known as the Talloires Network, which held its 2014 Talloires Network Leaders Conference in South Africa from 2-4 December. Read more...

By Rebecca Warden and Ard Jongsma. International league tables should take account of civic engagement when they are ranking universities, according to vice-chancellors, academics and students gathered on 4 December at the closing ceremony of the Talloires Network Leaders Conference near Cape Town, South Africa. This was one of six points in a Call to Action, a closing statement for the 264 delegates to take back to their institutions in 41 countries. Read more...

By Rebecca Warden and Karen MacGregor. Educating economically successful global citizens, expanding access to higher education, measuring the impacts of work with communities, influencing university rankings, incentives for engaged academics and a greater role for students. These were major topics for debate and new goals as university leaders from across the world set the stage for future university engagement at the Talloires Network Leaders Conference, or TNLC 2014. Read more...