The Community-Engaged University: The Case of Universities in Ethiopia

Abstract

Throughout the world, higher education institutions are facing the challenge of engaging more closely with their surrounding communities, thereby developing an intellectual foundation for such engagement and integrating the key aspects of the university’s mission: teaching, research and community service. This study tracks the development of the concept of community engagement in Ethiopian higher education. We will focus on the current state and required characteristics for community engaged universities in the Ethiopian context. In doing so, we will try to develop and strengthen an understanding of how Ethiopian universities work with their local communities. The article includes one Ethiopian university as case study to illustrate the processes and outcomes of embedding community engagement in Ethiopian higher education.