Using local knowledge in university sustainable development efforts

Institutions of higher education can contribute to a community's development. Many African universities are nationally-owned and charged with improving sustainable development in their region. In the past, knowledge was the ability to memorize and recall information. However, recent scholarship has focused on the application and use of knowledge in the service of the local community in order to create a mutual benefit between the university and the local community. The idea of an “ecological university” takes this relationship one step further to include the university's responsibility to care for the environment in addition to the local community. Sustainable development from an ecological university should meet the needs of the community, including the needs of people often excluded from the community, and not cause a strain on the community's and future generations' resources. In addition, a university that is looking to help a community develop sustainably must be willing to listen to the community's self-identified needs and respect its collective knowledge rather than assert the superiority of higher education knowledge. This study explored how locals viewed the role of the university in sustainable development and their vision this role in the future.

This research took place in in the South West Region of Cameroon in Africa. This area is an English-speaking area that has a mix of urban, rural, and traditional communities and a population of over 200,000 people who mostly rely on agriculture. The author recruited 31 participants of various ages and marital statuses through acquaintances and referrals from other participants. The participants lived near a state-owned university in this region. The author conducted interviews with 20 of the participants and 2 focus groups with the other 11 participants. The data were analyzed to identify recurring themes.

In order to work towards sustainable development, the author found that universities should engage with their local communities to discover their needs and incorporate local knowledge.

Three overarching themes emerged from this research. First, the university should emphasize the importance of community knowledge as an important part of the sustainable development process. Many of the participants believed that the university should operate as a part of the community. Participants felt that the university should incorporate and value the community's opinions and feedback so that the university can facilitate development rather than imposing academic ideas. Second, the university should use the local community to create a foundation of knowledge. Fostering two-way dialogue can lead to more effective sustainable development because the local residents' perspectives are considered important, which may ultimately lead to greater buy-in and satisfaction. A two-way dialogue was viewed as beneficial to the university as the students could learn information from locals that might not be taught in a university. Third, the university should create opportunities for community members to make suggestions. This process may help community members feel they are an important and valued part of the process, as well as contribute valuable local knowledge.

The research was limited by several factors. Although this research can impact universities across Africa, the study only represented how the participants in one area felt about a specific university in Cameroon. In addition, the study was based on a convenience sample, in which participants were selected based on their proximity to the author. Therefore, participants are likely not representative of the overall population, and results may not fully reflect the full range of perspectives among residents. A more representative sample may have impacted the findings. Finally, the author had a prior relationship with the community which could have influenced data analysis and interpretation of results.

The author recommends that universities focus on facilitating relationship-building between universities and the local community. In addition, the author argues that it is essential to ensure that development is undertaken as a cooperative action, rather than the university creating change without consulting or valuing the opinions and knowledge of the local community. Finally, the author asserts that cooperative action is not possible without a relationship built on mutual trust in which the university treats local community members as equal collaborators in sustainable development.