scholarly journals Promoting Sustainable Development in Rural Communities: The Role of the University of Botswana

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Flora Tladi-Sekgwama ◽  
Gabo P. Ntseane

Universities are better placed through their community engagement mandates to provide solutions for sustainable community livelihoods. The paper uses the case of the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) strategy, regarded as both a conservation and rural development strategy in Botswana to demonstrate how a structured community engagement agenda can enable the University of Botswana to play a more impactful role in the successful implementation of nationally upheld development initiatives such as the CBNRM. Systems theory is applied to demonstrate the need for a university engagement strategy, working model, guide to CBNRM sustainable development activities and a framework for the maintenance of sustainable engagement partnerships. Literature review showed uncoordinated research activity in support of the CBNRM by different departments and institutes of the UB. While content analysis of the CBNRM draft policy objectives showed the UB being more impactful by focusing its community engagement on two modes: “sustainability partnerships” and “research committed to sustainability”.

2020 ◽  
pp. 146879412097888
Author(s):  
Rachel Creaney ◽  
Mags Currie ◽  
Paul Teedon ◽  
Karin Helwig

This project employed community researchers as a means of improving community engagement around their Private Water Supplies (PWS) in rural Scotland. In this paper, we reflect on working with community researchers in terms of the benefits and challenges of the approach for future rural research that seeks to improve community engagement. The paper (1) critiques the involvement of community researchers for rural community engagement, drawing on the experiences in this project and (2) provides suggestions for good practice for working with community researchers in rural communities’ research. We offer some context in terms of the role of community members in research, the importance of PWS, our approach to community researchers, followed by the methodological approach and findings and our conclusions to highlight that community researchers can be beneficial for enhancing community engagement, employability, and social capital. Future community researcher approaches need to be fully funded to ensure core researchers can fulfil their duty of care, which should not stop when data collection is finished. Community researchers need to be supported in two main ways: as continuing faces of the project after the official project end date and to transfer their newly acquired skills to future employment opportunities.


Author(s):  
Samir Mohamad Hassan

The current study aims to identify the role of financing higher education in Nigerian universities in the state of Kano and its impact on sustainable development. The study problem lies in the low funding of higher education in Nigerian universities, which will negatively affect the sustainability of higher education and sustainable development. The importance of the study is highlighted by highlighting the importance of financing higher education in Nigerian universities and the sources of obtaining this funding as one of the most important factors through which students can complete their studies. The study followed the qualitative approach with the aim of obtaining more accurate information about traditional higher education financing sources and its impact on the sustainability of education and achieving sustainable development. The study population reached the number of three Nigerian universities, which are a governmental, federal and private university, to learn about the impact of financing higher education in Nigerian universities on sustainable development. The sample of the study was about three out of five of those responsible for financing higher education in Nigerian universities. Also, the study followed unstructured or open interviews in order to obtain more information about financing higher education and whether or not it is suitable for the idea of a monetary endowment. The results of the study showed that the sources of financing for higher education in traditional Nigerian universities are varied, including what can be obtained through the endowment and donations fund that can be made through community initiatives, and the results of the study also indicated that the idea of a monetary endowment faces great challenges in its application, so the idea is subject to acceptance and rejection. According to the nature of the university and the nature of the subjects taught. The study recommended the necessity of expanding the study of the impact of financing higher education in Nigerian universities by expanding the scope of study to include all Nigerian states.


2007 ◽  
Vol 09 (02) ◽  
pp. 141-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER FRANZ ◽  
COLIN KIRKPATRICK

Since the adoption of the EU's first Sustainable Development Strategy in 2001, the European Commission has been committed to undertaking impact assessments of its major policy proposals, covering the potential positive and negative economic, social and environmental effects both inside and outside the European Union. This paper provides as evaluation of a sample of the Commission's recent EC Impact Assessments, focusing on the extent to which the goal of sustainable development has been integrated into the impact assessment analysis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 307 ◽  
pp. 09001
Author(s):  
Ihor Todorov ◽  
Nataliia Todorova

The article studies the interrelated categories of national security and sustainable development, which are currently the object of special attention of government institutions, civil society, political parties, territorial communities, etc. The purpose of the study is to specify the topical issues associated with sustainable development of the national security, building on the international experience in this area, and to determine the locally adaptable ways of ensuring sustainability of the national security of Ukraine. The process of sustainable development of national security is to be more effective when there is a clear idea of its structural and functional elements, direct and indirect ties among them. The synergy of national security with the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is able to ensure comprehensive modernization in accordance with today’s requirements and strengthen the level of welfare and security of citizens. The integrated level of national security of Ukraine correlates with the goals of sustainable development. The country’s stability and its resistance to national security threats is a necessary condition for implementing a purposeful sustainable development strategy for 2030. Successful implementation of sustainability tasks for Ukraine is possible provided there exist unity and capacity of state power and society.


Author(s):  
Bantu Morolong ◽  
Rebecca Lekoko ◽  
Veronica Magang

The case presented in this chapter submits a general consensus about the role of leadership in a university public training program. Focusing on short training programs provided by the Centre for Continuing Education of the University of Botswana, there are some indications that the effectiveness of these training is compromised by a number of issues. Emerging from reflective evaluations and experiences from coordinators are issues of relevance, feedback loop, inclusiveness and training goals. In the light of our understanding of different goals of training, it becomes clear that current public training at the University of Botswana focus more on the conceptual understanding along with occupational at the expense of other areas of public training. The analysis reveals some shortcomings in a number of aspects that calls for a multi-task, multi-skilled leader who can serve well as a strategic decision-maker, partner with clients; skilled designer and marketer of training programs.


Author(s):  
Tshimangadzo Selina Mudau

The chapter presents the use of community engagement as a tool to facilitate rural development in (South) Africa. In its discussion, the researcher used desktop literature review to analyze, compare, and gain insights guiding the use of community engagement to enhance social transformation and sustainable development. The discussion is advanced from the historical background of the emergence of African universities and community engagement. The focus was reflected against the backdrop of the Western approach used among various global universities. In this view, the underpinning objectives, relationship with the researched, and the role of the researching university are detailed. Practical evidence of positive collaborative results within the (South) African communities within the rural and urban communities by universities and other organizations have also been provided. A contrast of various types of community engagement is also provided.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Dzimińska ◽  
Justyna Fijałkowska ◽  
Łukasz Sułkowski

This paper aims to propose a conceptual model that synthesizes the existing findings concerning universities as culture change agents for sustainable development. The model could serve as a guidance on how universities might get involved in the pro-SD activities. It also underlines the prerequisite of the quality culture that should be introduced within all the activities of universities to successfully act as culture change agents for SD. This paper builds upon the holistic and inter-disciplinary approach to demonstrate that SD does not happen in isolation and that the role of universities in its creation is significant. This study includes a literature review to contextualize the impact of universities on culture and their potential role in SD. The conclusions stemming from the literature review materialize in the proposal of the conceptual model of the university as the culture change agent for SD. The elaborated framework responds to the need for greater clarity, ordering and systematization of the role of universities in the processes of initiating, promoting and modelling the SD-oriented changes while appreciating the role of culture as an enabler, means of social change and a result of SD-focused interventions. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a novel perspective on the assumed interrelations between university, its quality culture, university main operations such as education, research and engagement with the society as well as the culture and the agency of stakeholders in the context of meeting the world’s current demands without compromising the needs of future generations.


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