Community Perceptions on the Contributions of Public Universities to Community Transformation
Abstract
Much as the role of higher education has been recognised for promoting development globally, communities surrounding universities in Sub-Saharan Africa are still grappling with poor quality health, low income, poor housing, unreliable electricity and other social amenities. This study determined community perceptions of the contributions of Gulu University to community transformation in post-conflict northern Uganda. A cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data while using researcher-administered questionnaires and geospatial techniques. Questionnaire data was analysed using principal component analysis, and descriptive statistics while geospatial data was analysed using buffers, spatial join tool, and overlay analysis in GIS environment. Findings revealed that the economic, political, spiritual and physical dimensions were important in explaining the transformation of communities surrounding Gulu University. The community surrounding Gulu University is perceived to have progressed well in terms of savings, business, commercial farming, and civil service; consumption of more than 3 meals per day, access to credit and remittances; easy access to health care, and quality education. The majority of the population can make free and independent decisions, are good at self-expression, exercise love for one another, enjoy living with community members, are at peace with one another, exercise kindness, waste is properly managed, and there is good access to water. However, there is slow progress in having alternative sources of income, only a few community members perceived: their level of education to have improved, participate in leadership and are taking part in politics. There is also a scarcity of respect for one another, endurance and faithfulness. The study concludes that (i) households need to think of alternative ways of generating income, given its relevance in enabling households to meet their daily income, (ii) education policies and other stakeholders need to provide more support for community members to pursue higher levels of education, (iii) more civic education to create awareness on the importance of participating in leadership and politics, and (iv) a need by religious sects to continue with more teachings on respect for one another, endurance and faithfulness in the community surrounding Gulu University
Downloads
References
Abreu, M., Demirel, P., Grinevich, V., & Karataş-Özkan, M. (2016). Entrepreneurial practices in research-intensive and teaching-led universities. Small business economics, 47, 695-717.
Agasisti, T., Barra, C., & Zotti, R. (2019). Research, knowledge transfer, and innovation: The effect of Italian universities’ efficiency on local economic development 2006− 2012. Journal of Regional Science, 59(5), 819-849.
Albulescu, I., & Albulescu, M. (2014). The university in the community. The university's contribution to local and regional development by providing educational services for adults. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 142, 5-11.
Banya, K. (2001). Are private universities the solution to the higher education crisis in sub-Saharan Africa? Higher Education Policy, 14(2), 161– 174. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0952-8733(01)00007-1.
Barnes, M. D., & Fairbanks, J. (1997). Problem-based strategies promoting community transformation: Implications for the community health worker model. Family & Community Health, 20(1), 54-65.
Bonilla-Santiago, G. (2020). Community development transformation of Cooper neighborhood: a Rutgers-Camden University and LEAP Academy school collaboration through sustainable development. Community Development, 51(5), 457-477.
Bortagaray, I. (2009). Bridging university and society in Uruguay: perceptions and expectations. Science and Public Policy, 36(2), 115-119.
Blythe, J., Silver, J., Evans, L., Armitage, D., Bennett, N. J., Moore, M., Morrison, T. H., & Brown, K (2018). The Dark Side of Transformation: Latent Risks in Contemporary Sustainability Discourse. Antipode, 50(5), 1206–1223. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12405.
Brennan, J., King, R., & Lebeau, Y. (2004). The role of universities in the transformation of societies: An international research project: synthesis report. Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Centre for Higher Education Research and Information.
Brown, M. E., & Baker, B. L. (2021). “People first”: Factors that promote or inhibit community transformation. In 50 Years of Community Development Vol II (pp. 61-78). Routledge. Chankseliani, M., & McCowan, T. (2021). Higher education and the sustainable development goals. Higher Education, 81(1), 1-8.
Clark, B. R. (1998). Creating entrepreneurial universities. Organizational pathways of transformation. New York: Pergamon Press.
Cloete N, Bailey T, Pillay P, Bunting I and Maassen P (2011) Universities and Economic Development in Africa Research Gate. Cloete, N. (Ed.). (2015). Knowledge production and contradictory functions in African higher education. African Minds.
Compagnucci, L., & Spigarelli, F. (2020). The Third Mission of the university: A systematic literature review on potentials and constraints. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 161, 120284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120284.
Coy, D., Malekpour, S., & Saeri, A. K. (2022). From little things, big things grow: Facilitating community empowerment in the energy transformation. Energy Research & Social Science, 84, 102353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102353.
Engeström, Y., Virkkunen, J., Helle, M., Pihlaja, J., & Poikela, R. (1996). The change laboratory as a tool for transforming work. Lifelong learning in Europe, 1(2), 10-17. doi=a0f1def4280ea711352213d54f82e226d0b5e7b8
Engeström, Y. (2001). Expansive learning at work: Toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization.
Engeström, Y. (1999). Innovative learning in work teams: Analyzing cycles of knowledge creation in practice. Perspectives on activity theory, 377, 404 Freire P (1996); Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Penguin Books ltd London England.
Harvey, L., & Knight, P. T. (1996). Transforming higher education. Society for Research into Higher Education [u.a.].
Getu, M. (2002). Measuring transformation: Conceptual framework and indicators. Transformation, 19(2), 92-97.
Gómez Chova, L., López Martínez, A., & Candel Torres, I. (Eds.). (2021). 13th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, 5th-6th July, 2021. Online proceedings. International Association of Technology, Education and Developmen IATED.
Israel, G. D. (1992). Determining sample size.
Leal Filho, W., Vargas, V. R., Salvia, A. L., Brandli, L. L., Pallant, E., Klavins, M., Ray, S., Moggi, S., Maruna, M., Conticelli, E., Ayanore, M. A., Radovic, V., Gupta, B., Sen, S., Paço, A.
Milton, S., & Barakat, S. (2018). Higher education as the catalyst of recovery in conflict-affected societies. In Education, Conflict, and Globalisation (pp. 77-95). Routledge.
McCowan, T. (2016). Universities and the post-2015 development agenda: An analytical framework. Higher Education, 72(4), 505–523.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0035-7.
McGrail, F. J. (2013). Lehigh University and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Partnering to Transform a Steel Town into a College Town. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 17(3), 91-108.
Oriangi, G., Albrecht, F., Di Baldassarre, G., Bamutaze, Y., Mukwaya, P. I., Ardö, J., & Pilesjö, P. (2020). Household resilience to climate change hazards in Uganda. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 12(1), 59-73.
Owens, T. L. (2017). Higher education in the sustainable development goals framework. European Journal of Education, 52(4), 414–420. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12237.
Peprah, J. A., Afoakwah, C., & Koomson, I. (2015). Savings, entrepreneurial trait and self-employment: evidence from selected Ghanaian Universities. Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, 5, 1-17.
Perkins, J. A. (1972). Organization and functions of the university. The Journal of Higher Education, 43(9), 679-691. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1978999.
Price, E. A. C., White, R. M., Mori, K., Longhurst, J., Baughan, P., Hayles, C. S., Gough, G., & Preist, C. (2021). Supporting the role of universities in leading individual and societal transformation through education for sustainable development. Discover Sustainability, 2(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-021-00058-3.
Roth, W. M. (2004). Introduction:" Activity theory and education: An introduction". Mind, Culture, and Activity, 11(1), 1-8. ISSN: 1074-9039 (Print) 1532-7884.
Rubens, A., Spigarelli, F., Cavicchi, A., & Rinaldi, C. (2017). Universities’ third mission and the entrepreneurial university and the challenges they bring to higher education institutions. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 11(03), 354-372.
Rukarwa, R. J., Mensah, S., & Egeru, A. (2018). Universities responding to advancing community transformation through action research in Africa. RUFORUM Working Document Series, 16, 81-94.
Secundo, G., Perez, S. E., Martinaitis, Ž., & Leitner, K. H. (2017). An Intellectual Capital framework to measure universities' third mission activities. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 123, 229-239.
Senzon, S. A. (2011). Five keys to real transformation in health care. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17(11), 1085-1089.
Smol, M., Duda, J., Czaplicka-Kotas, A., & Szołdrowska, D. (2020). Transformation towards circular economy (CE) in municipal waste management system: Model solutions for Poland. Sustainability, 12(11), 4561.
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Experimental designs using ANOVA (Vol. 724). Belmont, CA:Thomson/Brooks/Cole.ANOVA/links/5e6bb05f92851c6ba70085db/Experimental-Designs-Using-ANOVA.pdf.
Urbano, D., & Guerrero, M. (2013). Entrepreneurial Universities: Socioeconomic Impacts of Academic Entrepreneurship in a European Region. Economic Development Quarterly, 27(1), 40–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891242412471973UNHCR (2008). 2007 Global Trends: Refugees, asylum-seekers, returnees, internally displaced and stateless persons (Report).
Urdari, C., Farcas, T. V., & Tiron-Tudor, A. (2017). Assessing the legitimacy of HEIs’ contributions to society: the perspective of international rankings. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 8(2), 191-215.
Waghid Y, (2002) Knowledge production and higher education transformation in South Africa. Towards reflexivity in university teaching, research and community service. Higher education 43:457 488 http//: www.tcrecord.org/ Teachers College Record. The voice of scholarship in education, Accessed 19th March 2013.
Walzer, N., Phillips, R., & Blair, R. (Eds.). (2020). 50 years of community development: A history of its evolution and application in North America. Volume II (1st ed.). Routledge.Zaman, A. U., & Lehmann, S. (2011). Urban growth and waste management optimization towards ‘zero waste city’. City, Culture and Society, 2(4), 177-187.
Copyright (c) 2024 Adebua Asaf, Daniel Ochieng Ologe, Edekebon Elaijah, Oriangi George, Ezati Akullu Betty, Amone Charles
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.