After completing the training for trainers, project participants conducted additional training for university staff and students.
The University of Georgia
In July 2026, the University of Georgia (UG) organised training sessions on Community Engagement (CE) and Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) for its academic and administrative staff and students within the framework of the ENHANCE-GSL project. The sessions were delivered by UG trainers who had strengthened their expertise through the project’s Training of Trainers programme.
The training for administrative staff took place online on 1 July and involved five participants. A separate three-session training for academic staff and students was held in a hybrid format on 14–16 July, bringing together 15 participants.
The sessions aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of how universities can address societal needs through meaningful cooperation with local communities. Academic staff and students explored how community needs can be integrated into teaching, learning and research, while administrative staff focused on the institutional support, coordination and procedures needed to facilitate sustainable university–community partnerships.
Through presentations, discussions, case studies, simulations and reflection exercises, participants explored the principles of effective community engagement, its benefits for universities and communities, and practical approaches to planning and evaluating community-engaged initiatives.
Sulkan-Saba Orbeliani University
From 1–3 July 2026, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University (SSOU) in Georgia conducted a 10-hour training on “Community Engagement in Higher Education: Concepts, Impact, and Implementation in Curricular Design”. The training brought together 22 academic and administrative staff members and PhD students involved in teaching.
The training introduced participants to the concepts and importance of Community Engagement (CE) in higher education, its role in quality assurance and accreditation, and its potential impact on teaching, learning and society. Through presentations, discussions, workshops and reflective activities, participants explored different models of community engagement, assessment and evaluation methods, and ways to integrate CE into course syllabi and curricula.
The training aimed to strengthen the university’s capacity to plan and implement community engagement activities and support their integration into teaching and learning, in line with SSOU’s strategic development priorities for 2026–2029.
The University of Sierra Leona
University of Makeni
In July 2026, the University of Makeni (UNIMAK) in Sierra Leone conducted two training sessions on Community Engagement (CE) within the framework of the ENHANCE-GSL project, reaching a total of 20 participants, including academic staff, administrative staff and students.
On 9 July, five administrative staff members participated in a three-hour training focused on strengthening institutional support for university–community engagement. The session explored how administrative policies, coordination, record-keeping, budgeting and partnership management can help integrate community engagement into university systems and ensure its long-term sustainability.
On 16 July, a four-hour training brought together 15 participants, including five lecturers and ten students. The session focused on practical approaches to university–community engagement through teaching, learning, research and service-learning. Participants explored ways to identify community needs, develop reciprocal partnerships and design community engagement projects that respond to real societal challenges.
Through presentations, discussions, case studies, group work and practical exercises, both training sessions strengthened participants’ understanding of community engagement and its role in higher education. The activities aimed to support more systematic, collaborative and sustainable cooperation between the University of Makeni and local communities.
