National policy directives inform our engaged scholarship strategy. The following policies inform our understanding and approach to engaged scholarship:

• The White Paper (1997) reaffirms the purpose of higher education concerning social responsibility and articulated one of the system-level goals at national level:
  - “To promote and develop social responsibility and awareness among students of the role of higher education in social and economic development through community service programmed [sic]” (1997: 10).
  - “To demonstrate social responsibility of institutions and their commitment to the common good by making available expertise and infrastructure for community service programmed [sic]” (1997: 11).
  
  

• The White Paper on Post-School Education and Training, 2013:
  - The post-school education and training system is a centrally crucial institutional mechanism established by society and must be responsive to its needs.

The engaged scholarship strategy takes into account the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Sustainable Development Goals 2030, African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, National Development Plan 2030, and National Education Plan, which emphasises the centrality of social justice as a crucial catalyst for the transformation of higher education.

For more information, contact:
Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele
T: +27 51 401 2822
C: +27 82 401 3279
E: ramahpm@ufs.ac.za