15th July 2020 Conference

Lorraine McIlrath

Community Knowledge Initiative, Campus Engage and the Talloires Network

National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

This keynote address will explore the rationale for implementing civic engagement at the National University of Ireland, Galway and from perspectives into three other European case studies, namely England, Croatia and the Belgium stemming from qualitative research. This keynote address aims to highlight how history, culture and context play a fundament role in terms of creating more nuanced approaches to the engaged university.  It will also make the case that implementation of a pedagogy of engagement is a highly localised process and involves a paradigm shift in student learning, academic practice, research practice and in the strategic direction for the institution. However, it will also point to some common trends in terms of strategically embedding a culture of engagement including the development of a community of practice approach (Wenger, 1998), the pivotal nature of formal and informal policies and committed leadership, to mention just three.  This presentation is informed by ongoing qualitative research and professional self-reflection as a ‘Campus Cartographer’ (McIlrath, 2019) on the process of developing engaged and enduring relationships with the community through service learning to realise the engaged university.

You can download the record of the keynote here.

María Rosa Tapia

Latin American Center for Solidarity Service-Learning and University of Buenos Aires, Argentina 

Words convey different meanings, histories, and cultural backgrounds in different parts of the world, and diverse theoretical roots and frameworks from different regions may enrich the global reflection on Community Engagement.  In Latin America, we talk about “Solidarity” to describe the “encounter”, committed and responsible to each other’s needs, respectful of their dignity and their culture. It is an open kind of solidarity, horizontal, sensitive to injustice and poverty, active and transforming. The concept of “solidarity” and its relevance for quality service-learning practices will be analyzed as a pedagogical approach to promote an Engaged University, and theory will be illustrated with service-learning experiences from Latin America.

You can download the record of the keynote here.

Andrew Furco (United States) in collaboration with EOSLHE (Europe)

During this interactive session, participants will contribute to the development of a global research agenda for service-learning and community engagement. In 2020, our field will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the annual international research conference on service-learning and community engagement, now sponsored by the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE). In preparation for this milestone event, IARSLCE is hosting a series of Research Agenda Setting Forums in different regions of the globe to develop a comprehensive, global research agenda for the study and practice of service-learning and community engagement. The research agenda will focus on identifying the key research questions, areas of research focus, needed methodological considerations, and other research-related issues that will guide the field’s research activities over the next five to ten years.  The research agenda will build on the current body of research, identify gaps in that research, and consider the research needs of contemporary and emerging conceptualizations of service-learning and community engagement across the educational spectrum (primary, secondary, and higher education) and across national and cultural contexts.   During this session, participants will engage in identifying key questions and issues that should be included in this global research agenda.