How Universities can Enhance Sustainable Development through Successful Engagement with their Regional Communities

Wallis RL¹*, Wallis AM¹* and Harris CM¹*

1. Deakin University, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia

Successful engagement between universities and their communities depends on productive partnerships that yield mutually beneficial outcomes to the institution and to the region. Positive results for the community can include regional economic growth, research and innovation, and development of human and social capital.

It has also been suggested one outcome can be progress towards sustainability, although there has been little evidence documented to support this claim. Certainly progress towards sustainable development is best achieved through partnerships. Universities can contribute in many ways: by producing knowledgeable and skilled graduates who are practitioners in sustainability, through research and by providing best practice in their own activities. Here we outline some case studies in community engagement that brings substantial progress towards sustainability and illustrate how productive collaboration can benefit the community, business, industry and government while simultaneously meeting universities’ strategic goals.

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