School of Religion, Philosophy & Classics

Community Engagement

There is a long history and considerable experience in the area of Community Engagement within each of the disciplines that make up the School of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics. Within the fields of religion, theology, philosophy, ethics, and classics there have been a range of ways in which community engagement has been practised, including community-based service learning, community service and outreach, participatory research, and action-reflection (praxis) forms of social transformation.

The particular strength of the School is its institutional forms of community engagement. Among these are the Ujamaa Centre for Community Development and Research (established 1989, a formally recognized ‘Research Centre’ within the University), the Sinomlando Centre for Oral History and Memory Work (established in 1996), the Centre for Constructive Theology (established in 1996), the Centre for African Ethics (established as the Unilever Ethics Centre in 1998), and the Islamic Centre (in the process of being established with the support of the University). The School also has a purpose built Classics museum located on the Howard College campus.

There is on-going discussion among these institutional forms of community engagement concerning increased collaboration and integration, with the aim of developing new initiatives that relate community engagement to research and teaching and learning.

Academic Leader – Community Engagement

Prof Lilian Cheelo Siwila

Academic Leader - Community Engagement

Lilian Cheelo Siwila
Lilian Cheelo Siwila Associate Professor
Pietermaritzburg Campus

Contact Details

Telephone: 033 260 6485
Email: siwila@ukzn.ac.za
Campus: Pietermaritzburg
Building: New Arts Building, 1st Floor
Room: 108