The Talloires Network presents the Leaders in the Civic Engagement Movement series, a collection of interviews with influential leaders around the world focusing on the intersection between universities and the communities that surround them. This presentation introduces some of the featured civic engagement pioneers, with short quotes from their respective interviews.

1. Leaders in the
Civic Engagement Movement
Interviews with 61 leaders from 26 universities in 17 countries written by 15 authors
www.tnlc.org/LCEM

2. Dedicated to the memory of a pioneering
leader and champion of university civic
engagement, Russel Botman.

3. Russel Botman Former Rector and Vice-Chancellor
Stellenbosch University
South Africa
“Africa needs a new
generation of responsible
leaders who will be willing
to place the public good
before self-interest.”

4. Leaders in Argentina

5. Rafael Velasco, Rector
Universidad Católica de Córdoba
Argentina
“The knowledge we produce
through our research and
teaching has to be for the
benefit and transformation
of our country.”

6. “You need to trust young people
and give them a chance to
participate and to lead.”
María Nieves Tapia, Founder and Director
Latin American Center for Service Learning
Argentina

7. Leaders in Australia

8. “Engaged universities extend
their mission-based activities
out of conviction that their role
should be transformative.”
Janice Reid, Former Vice-Chancellor
University of Western Sydney
Australia

9. “We must inform and
support research and
teaching which embeds civic
engagement, we cannot leave
it on the margin.”
Barney Glover, Vice-Chancellor
University of Western Sydney
Australia

10. Loshini Naidoo, Senior Lecturer
University of Western Sydney
Australia
“If we can make a difference
in the life of one person in a
community, it is a small yet
significant step to
empowering a whole
community.”

11. Eric Brace, Executive Educational Advisor
Australia Literacy and Numeracy Foundation
Australia
“Universities that represent
the perspectives of diverse
learning communities are
places which are more
inclusive, dynamic and
relevant."

12. Leaders in Burkina Faso

13. Amadou Hama Maiga, Director General
International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering
Burkina Faso
“We want to improve the
quality of education to help
more African students engage
in research and develop
knowledge together. ”

14. Elodie Hanff, Director of Technopôle Business Incubator
International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering
Burkina Faso
“Many innovative ideas in line
with the needs of green
growth in Africa need a
helping hand in turning them
into businesses.”

15. Leaders in Canada

16. “One challenge is to ensure the
new structure and practices of
engagement stay attached to
values that are linked to the
common good.”
Budd Hall, UNESCO Co-Chair
Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in
Higher Education, University of Victoria
Canada

17. Leaders in Chile

18. Ester Fecci, Director of the Center of Entrepreneurship
Universidad Austral de Chile
Chile
“Students and youth are
capable of taking civic
engagement and social
responsibility to a new level,
for mutual respect, as one
human being to another.”

19. “One of our duties is to convey
knowledge from the university
and make it available to the
people. The linkages we have
with the community influence
the type of science we do and
the type of knowledge we
generate.”
Andrea Pino, Director
Center of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development
Chile

20. Juan Leyton, Community Organizer
Neighbor to Neighbor
Chile & USA
“Projects will succeed when
universities approach
communities with the
attitude, not of telling
others what to do, but
rather opening their
hands and saying, this is
what we have to share.”

21. Leaders in China

22. Timothy Tong, President
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
China
“University students are builders
and leaders of our future world.
They must remember rights and
responsibilities go hand in hand,
and mutual respect is a
cornerstone of a civil society. ”

23. Leaders in Egypt

24. “In the civic engagement
movement we are creating
allies and incentives for our
faculty and students to think
again about conventional
practices in higher education
and to experiment with new
platforms and paradigms.”
Lisa Anderson, President
The American University in Cairo
Egypt

25. “Civic engagement is a way of
life, a kind of reflex to every
small and big decision in our
daily lives.”
Nelly Corbel, Director The Lazord Academy
The American University in Cairo
Egypt

26. “It begins with civil society,
where people see positive
action, not just wasted words
or slogans on the street, but
action that changes lives and
the course of history.”
Rana Gaber, Community Organizer
The Egyptian Youth Federation
Egypt

27. Leaders in Kenya

28. “There is no one-size-fits-all
approach to community
engagement. Strategies must be
context specific.”
Olive Mugenda, Vice-Chancellor
Kenyatta University
Kenya

29. Leaders in Malaysia

30. “Universities are the
conscience of society. We will
get lost if we have isolated
ourselves from society in our
ivory towers. We must serve
our community.”
Mei Ling Young, Provost
International Medical University
Malaysia

31. Kok-hai Ong, Dean
International Medical University
Malaysia
“The need to serve and
engage communities has
also given the students the
opportunities to put into
practice what they have
learned in the classroom.”

32. James Koh, Associate Professor
International Medical University
Malaysia
“University community
engagement has been a
large part of the IMU vision
as well as its culture. Social
responsibility is deeply
expressed through the way
Malaysians take care of
family and community.”

33. Sharifah Hapsah Shahabudin, Former Vice-Chancellor
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Malaysia
“Civic engagement helps people
to see beyond their differences.”

34. “The university has the moral
responsibility to create a
positive impact on the public
especially in developing the
human capital of the country
as well as the lives of people.”
Datuk Noor Azlan Ghazali, Vice-Chancellor
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Malaysia

35. Saran Kaur Gill, Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Malaysia
“To obtain the buy-in for
partnerships, I had to convince
and persuade academics,
industries, NGOs and the
community of the value of this
field; I had to show them what
we could do.”

36. “I believe everyone in society
has helpful knowledge and
every student has good ideas.
It is our job to give students a
chance to find a vision toward
success, and to enjoy life
and develop their career
along the way.”
Mohd Fauzi, Professor
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Malaysia

37. Leaders in Mexico

38. “Universities, as anchor
institutions, need to be
attentive to the surrounding
needs in their communities,
to eradicate poverty, and
corruption. This type of
awareness is contagious and
is fundamental for any
leader.”
David Noel Ramírez Padilla, Rector
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Mexico

39. “As soon as a professor in a
university stops sharing or
extending knowledge beyond
the classroom, he or she
becomes obsolete.”
Ernesto Benavides Ornelas, Director of Engagement
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Mexico

40. María Bravo, Coordinator of Brigadas Comunitarias
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Mexico
“Poverty is not only material
but is also cultural in the
matter of empowerment.
It is difficult to make people
believe change is possible.”

41. Sara Ladrón de Guevara, Rector
Universidad Veracruzana
Mexico
“Learning to appreciate and
love the differences we all
have is a path that leads
toward a more equitable
future.”

42. Beatriz Rodríguez Villafuerte, Vice-Rector
Universidad Veracruzana, Campus Orizaba-Córdoba
Mexico
“It is very important that the
development of professionals
and academics includes a
vocation of giving back, to
ensure they have this kind of
commitment for the rest of
their lives.”

43. Clíona Maher, Coordinator for International Cooperation
Universidad Veracruzana
Mexico
“Both the community and the
students are changed through
the engagement with one
another.”

44. Leaders in Pakistan

45. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Founding President
Aga Khan University
Pakistan
“The community is the
most important partner
for a university.”

46. “It is extremely important
students get a sense of purpose
with their education.
Technical knowledge is crucial,
of course, but the purpose of
education is greater and leads to
a purpose in life.”
Sohail Naqvi, Vice-Chancellor
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Pakistan

47. “There is so much potential for
growth in Pakistan. The people
are extremely talented and
there is so much they can do. All
they need is a platform and
some support.”
Maryam Ahmed, Co-Founder Literaty Pakistan Program
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Pakistan

48. “By enabling students to
interact with under-resourced
members of a community,
the students see new
perspectives and get the
chance to give back.”
Hamza Ayub, Secretary Literaty Pakistan Program
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Pakistan

49. Leaders in Rwanda

50. “It’s all well and good to say
we are teaching through
community outreach, but we
are struggling when it comes
to assessment. Teachers are
discussing different
approaches and we are eager
to learn from others.”
James Gashumba, Coordinator
University of Rwanda, Nyagatare Campus
Rwanda

51. “The first and most
important achievement is
accepting and knowing that
we share similar problems
and moving forward to
jointly solve them.”
Paul Sserumaga, Senior Lecturer
University of Rwanda, Nyagatare Campus
Rwanda

52. Leaders in South Africa

53. Jerome Slamat, Senior Director Community Interaction
Stellenbosch University
South Africa
“Community engagement can
bring back the founding
sentiments of the university.”

54. Max Price, Vice-Chancellor
University of Cape Town
South Africa
“The civic engagement
movement as a whole
needs a stronger
African voice .”

55. Elli Yiannakaris, Director of the Raymond Ackerman Academy
University of Cape Town
South Africa
“Observing and following
students’ personal journeys
is a good way to measure
their skills development.”

56. Samantha Mtinini, UCT Alumna and Business Owner
Go Camissa Travel
South Africa
“Believe in your ideas and
trust yourself. Do not give
up! Work hard and realize
your dreams.”

57. Cheryl de la Rey, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
University of Pretoria
South Africa
“Experiential learning,
participatory and action
research, as well as
community outreach, all
form part of our strategy on
community engagement.”

58. Peter Mbati, Vice-Chancellor
University of Venda
South Africa
“Civic engagement gives
students an appreciation of
what they themselves can do
for the growth of our
communities.”

59. Joseph Francis, Director of the Institute of Rural Development
University of Venda
South Africa
“Community engagement
requires a lot of passion,
dedication, commitment, and
working well beyond the call
of the clock.”

60. Hlekani Kabiti, Graduate Student
University of Venda
South Africa
“Civic engagement is a
bridge that reconnects
a university to the
surrounding community.
It takes both the
university and the
community to walk
across the bridge.”

61. Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor
University of the Witswatersrand
South Africa
“Around the world the
image of the university is
changing. Universities are
intended to create
economic opportunity by
developing human skills
and enabling knowledge
transfer, they are not
mechanisms to create
elites."

62. Thabo Putu, Former Programme Coordinator
University of the Witswatersand
South Africa
“The community cannot
just walk into fenced
universities. You have to
take students out to the
community.”

63. Leaders in Spain

64. “You don’t have to push
students to get involved,
but encourage them to do so
by proposing projects and
supporting the ones
students suggest.”
José María Sanz Martínez, Rector
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Spain

65. Leaders in the
United Kingdom

66. John Wood, Secretary General
The Association of Commonwealth Universities
United Kingdom
“The issues of social inclusion
comes up time and time
again. Increasing access to
higher education is tied to
accessing better occupations.”

67. Leaders in the
United States

68. “We at Auburn realize that
the challenges are the same
from Alabama to Africa
despite cultural differences,
and providing and increasing
financial resources for civic
engagement is important.”
Giovanna Summerfield, Associate Dean
Auburn University
USA

69. Mark Wilson, Director of Civic Learning Initiatives
Auburn University
USA
“We want students to listen
long enough to understand
what the community seeks
for itself, then lend a hand to
help them accomplish
their vision.”

70. “The most important thing a
President can do to advance
civic engagement is to
listen to the community.”
Mark D. Gearan, President
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
USA

71. “The tradition of civic
engagement is passed from one
generation to the next. Our
students take it with them on
graduation day.”
Anthony P. Monaco, President
Tufts University
USA

72. “When citizens are actively
involved in their civic and
democratic institutions,
their community and their
nation are stronger,
more just, and more
prosperous.”
Alan Solomont, Dean
Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service
Tufts University
USA

73. “I care about impact and
making a difference.”
Miriam Nelson, Associate Dean
Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service
Tufts University
USA

74. “The university has three main
objectives – to educate,
conduct research, and translate
that research to affect positive
change in society.”
Hellen Amuguni, Research Assistant Professor
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Tufts University
USA

75. “I want the higher education
community to be known for
developing the next generation
of engaged citizens and leaders.”
Scott Cowen, Former President
Tulane University
USA

76. Leaders in Zimbabwe

77. “Universities should see the
value of investing in students
and their community work. It
helps students change their
attitude and prepare for life
after formal education.”
Charity Manyeruke, Department Chair
University of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

78. Donald Bodzo, Executive Director
paNhari Organization
Zimbabwe
“When a person becomes
conscious of responsibility
and participates in social
issues with the aim of
improving the overall
condition, then we can say
that we have achieved civic
learning.”

79. “Leadership is not about
one person, it is about the
results of a team effort.
Leading is about listening
and coordinating with
others and I always give
credit to the team.”
Irvine Chimedza, Student President
University of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

80. A Special Thank You to
National and Regional Partners

81. A Special Thank You to Global Partners