The Talloires Network Leaders Conference: “Live Engagement, Transform Lives” took place from December 2 through December 4, 2014 at the Spier Conference Center and Hotel located in Stellenbosch Winelands, about 50 km from Cape Town, South Africa. TNLC 2014 hosted leaders of universities from around the world for charting the next stage of the global movement of higher education civic engagement and social responsibility. The conference provided a platform for these leaders to share their experience and plans, identify ways to support each other’s work, and develop priorities for collective action. In this crucial era in which the growing global movement of universities seeks to move beyond the ivory tower paradigm, TNLC highlighted and reinforced the compelling leadership of national, regional and international networks that are advancing university-community partnerships on all continents.
TNLC was co-sponsored by the South African Higher Education Community Engagement Forum (SAHECEF), a dynamic coalition of South Africa’s public universities and some private universities. It was also co-hosted by the Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC), which comprises the four Western Cape universities – Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Stellenbosch University (SU), University of Cape Town (UCT), and University of the Western Cape (UWC) – all of which run impressive civic engagement and social responsibility programs. Delegates at the conference took part in site visits showcasing examples of flagship programs. Several additional higher education civic engagement and social responsibility networks from all parts of the world are also served as conference partners. The themes the conference included:
- Perspectives from the Global South – highlighting knowledge and successful strategies developed by universities in the Global South; we will foster South-North, North-South and South-South dialogue
- Youth Employment – elevating the role of universities in addressing the world-wide youth employment crisis
- Economic Development – discussing how higher education institutions contribute to economic development in all geographic contexts
For more details, download the full report at: Partner_and_Regional_Networks_Meeting_Notes_Dec_2014.pdf
