Stellenbosch University
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Spotlight on Social Impact at Stellenbosch University
Author: Jorisna Bonthuys
Published: 28/09/2017

​It is a 'strategic imperative' for Stellenbosch University (SU) to have social impact to remain relevant. This view was expressed by Prof Nico Koopman, Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel at SU. He was one of the speakers at the recent Social Impact Symposium held at Devonvale Golf Estate outside Stellenbosch.

Being in the knowledge business, the university is ideally positioned to bring about meaningful social impact, he said. “Knowledge should make a positive impact on society. Our (collective) knowledge makes an impact in a specific direction. We need to ask ourselves how it makes a difference. This challenge and responsibility is shared by our academics, support staff, students and management. Our institution works for the well-being of all and for social justice in our society." 

Best practice examples of SU's social impact highlighted during the symposium included the use of transformative pedagogy in teaching science, as well as research to reduce the impact of fires in informal settlements. Different types of social impacts were discussed, which positively impact the systems in society. 

Dr Antoinette Smith-Tolken, Director: Social Impact, gave an overview of the university's Social Impact Strategic Plan. “We need to collectively understand what it means when we say we bring about social change," she said.  

“The core of social impact is that it incurs evaluable change. Bringing about social impact is not doing business as usual but a particular way of engaging. Increasingly, SU is looking at building broader partnerships to ensure social impact and increase its relevance." 

She indicated that work is underway to develop a strategic management indicator for social impact. Work is also underway to establish think-tanks for the assessment of social impact and to find ways to incentivise it in the development of key performance indicators for staff.  

Currently, SU has eight strategies to ensure social impact. This includes the institutionalisation of engaged scholarship; the facilitation of volunteer opportunities; and the creation of development opportunities for previously excluded communities focusing on the 'lost generation' between school and tertiary education. 

Joanne Williams, Management Information Officer: Social Impact launched SU's new Social Impact Knowledge Platform at the symposium. “This online platform is a brand new tool to document, coordinate, foster collaborate and report on SU's social impacts initiatives," she said. SU Staff are invited to register their social impact initiatives on the platform

Prof Koopman concluded: “We need to overcome focusing only on (individual) initiatives and use specific initiatives to advance, stimulate and trigger the notion of systemic, embedded impact. This must be ongoing, inherent and embedded in the impact of learning and teaching and research. “We believe that when we work together, there will be sustained and significant positive change in our broader society."