​​​​“The Veracruz Declaration acknowledges that educational institutions, specifically institutions of higher education are called to make distinctive and indispensable contributions in our societies, in Africa and all over the world.

So said Prof Nico Koopman, Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel, who led a Stellenbosch University (SU) delegation to a conference organised by the Talloires Network (an international association of institutions committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education). Koopman was a speaker at the concluding plenary session where the declaration was adopted.

Stellenbosch University (SU) cosigned the declaration during the conference which took place from 21 – 23 June at the Universidad Veracruzana (UV), Mexico.  Higher education leaders from regions around the world attended the event, which included  Dr Leslie van Rooi, incoming Senior Director: Social Impact and Transformation; Dr Antoinette Smith-Tolken, Director: Social Impact and Ms Monica du Toit: Head of the Transformation Office.

The theme of the conference was “Social Responsibility and Human Dignity in Higher Education Engagement". A focus point of the conference was how universities worldwide can contribute to creating more just, equitable and prosperous communities. It  explored the type of practices that can be deploy to tackle pervasive challenges to civic life such as racial injustice, poverty and illiteracy.  The conference also aimed to envision a future for engaged universities.  

 “The Declaration envisages universities that give intellectual leadership in the journey of societies toward racial justice, gender justice, ecological justice, justice to all; it sees universities that advance equity and equilibrium in all walks of life - also with regard to lifelong participation in university life," Koopman concluded.

• The Talloires Network, which consists of 367 members in 77 countries, held their 2014 conference in Stellenbosch.

Read his full speech here:

Thank you for the privilege to respond as an African to the Veracruz Declaration. I come from the continent that is described by some as the so-called fourth world, as the continent that enjoys the highest level of exclusion from the, albeit ambiguous, benefits that contemporary political and economic systems have to offer. I simultaneously come from the continent where we live with a threefold hope: realistic hope because we have great human and natural resources and immense potential; resilient hope because bad circumstances and negative developments pull and stretch and challenge us but they do not break and destroy us; responsive hope because we seek to anticipate challenges attentively and to respond appropriately and  pro-actively.

The Veracruz Declaration acknowledges that educational institutions, specifically institutions of higher education are called to make distinctive and indispensable contributions in our societies, in Africa and all over the world. This declaration provides to universities a threefold gift, namely an ethos, a logos and a pathos.

The Declaration provides an ethos and views the calling of universities as one of building the common good, i.e. a life of dignity, healing, justice, freedom and equality for all. The Declaration envisages universities that give intellectual leadership in the journey of societies toward racial justice, gender justice, ecological justice, justice to all; it sees universities that advance equity and equilibrium in all walks of life - also with regard to lifelong participation in university life.

The Declaration functions with a logos, a logic, a grammar, a rationality with various elements: 
- the reciprocal social impact of universities should be integrated into  and embedded in all facets of university life; 
- impact are to be made on all spheres of life (civil society with al its individuals and institutions; political life; the economy; public discourse and opinion formation; ecology);
- the contribution of universities should be scientific and critical, i.e. in a world of complexity universities should help us to resist anti-intellectualism and intellectual laziness that settle for oversimplification, and help us to deal constructively with complexity in all its forms; 
- universities should resist the presumption and even pride that makes them adhere to notions of science for society, but we should rather function with the humble assertiveness that makes us practice science with society - moreover, the rest of society also impacts upon universities;
- we are invited to do our work in collaboration with local, regional and global partners in the context of glocality, i.e. in the context where the local and the global are in continuous conversation, interaction, and interdependency. 

The Veracruz Declaration, thirdly, evokes pathos. In its introduction it says we are dedicated; it articulates our quest to be part of and to build relationships with various spheres of our societies in belief language - we believe, it says, we are convinced, we are committed; in  its conclusion Veracruz invites universities and other institutions of broader society to journey together, to be concerned about the things that we should be concerned about, to care about the things we should jointly care about, to be compassionate about the things that call for compassion. To be com-passionate is to share a pathos.

I am glad that African universities can also endorse the Veracruz Declaration and that we can be part of this global communion, this global circle of friends who live with this dignifying ethos, illuminating logos and caring pathos.