Developing and Sustaining Community–University Research Partnerships: Reflecting on Relationship Building

Abstract

Community engagement, with a specific focus on community–university research partnerships, has remained a central but contentious discourse in the higher education sector over the past three decades. The conceptualization of this third function has varied across regions, type of universities and even academic disciplines. Historically, higher education institutions have been positioned as the knowers within communities, disregarding the valuable contribution to knowledge creation to be made by members of the diverse communities it serves. We propose a more reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship where each party combines its knowledge to address mutually agreed-upon outcomes. Such partnerships are educative as they provide an opportunity for the growth of the stakeholders as change agents for improving education, civic responsibility, and community development. In this chapter, we reflect on one community-based project to enhance our understanding of and seek ways to improve community–university research partnerships. Data was generated by narrative freewriting to tap into the perceptions of academics as well as community members regarding the partnership. The themes which emerged from the content analysis presented ideas on how to nurture relationships in community–university research partnerships.KeywordsCollaborationCommunity engagementCommunity–university partnershipsMutual benefitRelationship buildingSustainability