Establishing Community Engagement Units at Partner Universities
The ENHANCE-GSL project has established Community Engagement Units at all four partner universities in Georgia and Sierra Leone to strengthen university–community cooperation and promote sustainable community engagement.
The Units provide a dedicated institutional framework for coordinating activities, building partnerships and addressing local community needs. They aim to help universities move beyond occasional outreach initiatives towards a more strategic, inclusive and sustainable approach to engagement with civil society organisations, local authorities, schools and underrepresented groups.
Each Unit has been equipped with the necessary infrastructure and technical resources to support its activities, including tools for interactive training, online collaboration, workshops and community outreach. The project has also developed a community engagement manual to provide guidance and a shared framework for implementation.
Through capacity-building training delivered by European partner institutions, academic and administrative staff have strengthened their knowledge and skills in community engagement. A Training of Trainers programme further supports the transfer of expertise within partner universities, helping staff train colleagues and students and ensure the long-term sustainability of the Units.
By embedding community engagement within university structures, ENHANCE-GSL strengthens institutional capacity, encourages meaningful partnerships and enhances the role of higher education in addressing societal challenges. The Units will continue to support collaboration between universities and their communities beyond the project’s lifetime.