The Faculty of the Humanities is delighted to announce the 2026 Engaged Scholarship Conference that will take place at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein Campus, from 25 to 26 November 2026. The conference explores the theme, Strengthening Community Engagement: Collaborative Pathways Towards Sustainable Development. The conference provides a platform for academics, researchers, students, and community practitioners to explore the vital intersection between engaged research, engaged learning & teaching, and engaged citizenship. It aims to foster dialogue, collaboration, and innovative practices that strengthen partnerships between universities and communities while contributing to sustainable development and societal transformation.
Conference themes
Engaged Learning and Teaching
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Community Service-Learning
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Community-Based Learning
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Interprofessional Learning
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Clinical Learning
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Pedagogies for engaged and collaborative learning
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Integrating theory with practice in community contexts
Engaged Research
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Community-based participatory research
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Action research and participatory methodologies
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Research that integrates community partners in knowledge production
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Innovative approaches linking research, practice and societal impact
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Creative and inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary research outputs addressing community needs
Engaged Citizenship
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Academic engagement in community development
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Public scholarship and policy engagement
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Student engagement and leadership in community initiatives
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Institutional partnerships for community development
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Universities as agents of sustainable societal change