Secretariat for University-Community Engagement Champions/Conference

In November 2009, with collaboration from the Global Alliance for Community Engaged Research (GACER) and UNESCO-APEID, BJIM organised the University-Community Engagement Conference (UCEC2009) with the objective of enhancing the social responsibilities and changing roles of universities and to explore methods, experiences, and strategies for community development. Due to the success of UCEC2009, a permanent UCEC Secretariat was set up, thus placing USM at the forefront of community development and engagement. The second “C” in UCEC now stands for both “Conference” and “Champions”. Other than co-organising future University-Community Engagement Conferences with universities in various parts of the region, the functions of the Secretariat are to initiate, monitor and facilitate USM’s community projects as well as encourage active university-community partnership. The Secretariat also aims to establish a network of universities for future flagship university-community projects as well as to promote the concept of engagement.