Stellenbosch University
Welcome to Stellenbosch University
Engagement opportunities for faculties discussed
Author: Joanne Williams
Published: 14/02/2017

Although Stellenbosch University's (SU) Rural Clinical School in Worcester focuses on undergraduate programmes in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, there are also opportunities for other faculties to engage with the local community there.

Some of these opportunities were discussed at a recent workshop, presented by SU's Division for Social Impact, to explore inter-professional collaboration opportunities between SU's faculties and the Rural Clinical School (RCS).

According to Dr Antoinette Smith-Tolken, Head: Social Impact, the purpose was to establish a community of practice to facilitate inter-faculty collaboration, which is a key principle of Social Impact as indicated in the Social Impact Strategic Plan.

Prof Nico Koopman, Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel, welcomed the attendees representing nine faculties. He said the gathering represented an opportunity to share information to deepen and strengthen existing work and to find fresh inspiration for new areas of collaboration.

"Society is measured by how we care for the most vulnerable. The University embodies the hopes of many, and SU can impact on society, and society on us as a university," he said.

The RCS functions under the umbrella of Ukwanda, whose vision it is to make a difference to rural healthcare by shaping engaged, confident, knowledgeable healthcare professionals who are patient-focused and have a high social consciousness.

It also offers links to the Worcester community, and there is a long history of working with local stakeholders. These include student placements and projects at multiple health service, education, NGO and community sites.

Five SU health professional undergraduate programmes are involved at the RCS: Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Human Nutrition, Physiotherapy, and Speech, Language and Hearing Therapy.

Some of the possible opportunities that were identified at the workshop included the involvement of the faculties of Science and Education in Maths and Science support at schools. AgriSciences could be involved in community gardens in order to contribute to food security, while Economic and Management Sciences could give training in Accounting for entrepreneurs.

Capacity building by Arts and Social Sciences, as well as legal services by Law, were also among the suggestions for possible opportunities.

Other suggestions included Medicine and Health Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, and Education's involvement in possibilities for extended development, such as early child development and research on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome from a multi-sectoral level.

The Rural Clinical Schools hosts an annual Rural Research day which will be held on 18 May 2017. An annual Community partner function which is an opportunity for partners to surface opportunities to SU, will be held on 4 October 2017.

The following opportunities for faculties at the Worcester platform are:

OpportunityRelevant Faculty
Maths & Science support at schoolsScience, Education
Community gardens / food securityAgriSciences
Training of entrepreneurs in accountingEconomic & Management Sciences
Support (including social work, psychology, drama) and capacity building at the schoolsArts & Social Sciences, Education
Legal servicesLaw
Possibilities for extended development e.g. ECD and first 1000 daysMedicine & Health Sciences, Arts & Social Sciences, Education
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome research from a multi-sectoral levelMedicine & Health Sciences, Arts & Social Sciences, Education

 

Opportunities details at specific partners sites can be viewed here 

The faculty representatives at the workshop highlighted the need for this kind of facilitation, coordination of collaborative opportunities and relationship brokering. The Division for Social Impact is currently developing a Social Impact Platform where collaboration and partnership opportunities can be presented and utilized.

As part of the next steps of the workshop, a trip is planned to the RCS, coupled with the continuation of conversations that started at the workshop. Part of the discussions included the possibility of the establishment of a local collaborative hub in Stellenbosch, and the development of a footprint in Saldanha that may also be explored as a collaborative hub.

For queries, please contact the Division for Social Impact: 021 808 3645.