Abstrak
Today, the world we live inis challenged with the co-existence of prosperity and poverty. In India, inparticular, although we are witnessing staggering increase in various economicindicators, our Human Development Indicators (HDIs) remain unenviable. It is inthis context that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have assumed profoundimportance as having the potential to offer sustainable solutions to suchsocietal challenges. As a result, the practice of Community University Engagement (CUE) has gained prominence, as a phenomenon seeking a two-waydiscourse between the communities and the universities, in an attempt toproduce socially relevant knowledge which is inclusive and sustainable. Considering the importance and value of such an initiative, an attempt was madeto tap such engagement practices between the HEIs and communities in India. Inaddition to plain documentation of such engagement, another highlycrucial parameter in this regard is the measurement of the impact of suchinitiatives, on all the stakeholders involved in the process. However, academicliterature related to this is still limited. In an attempt to fill thisgap, the study at hand involved impact assessment of CUE activities as animportant component. Using qualitative tools of impact assessment, this paperdocuments the empirical evidence of the impacts on various stakeholders,arising out of CUE activities, undertaken at various universities in India. Theresults generated through primary data, show that although it appears to be thecase of binary stakeholders (Community and University), CUE envisagesengagement, integration and cross linking among a number of sub stakeholders,getting impacted in a multitude of ways. Students get an opportunity ofexperiential learning; while teachers can take up socially relevant research,as part of the curriculum. Communities benefit by way of empowerment andsustainable livelihoods, while universities get a chance to project themselvesas socially engaged institutions. Indirect and subsidiary stakeholders likeCivil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Government,respectively also take away several benefits from the process. Therefore, inessence, the paper makes the case of CUE by demonstrating the positive andmutually beneficial experienced enjoyed by thestakeholders involved in the process.