Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility in Higher Education Institutions
An international delegation of academics and international office professionals from Europe and Africa gathered at the Duale Hochschule Baden-Wurttemberg Ravensburg from 17th until 24th May 2025 for a high-impact partnership exchange focused on advancing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
The international partnership week was hosted by Duale Hochschule Baden-Wurttemberg (DHBW) Ravensburg and funded by Erasmus+ Programme in collaboration with partnership universities from France, Malta, Portugal, Serbia, Germany, Morrocco, South Africa and Namibia.
The programme aimed to share, amongst others, best practices in advancing Corporate Social Responsibility in HEIs, explore opportunities for student and staff exchange, promote cross-cultural dialogue, and an opportunity for networking.
The week-long visit included a keynote welcoming address by the Rector of DHBW, Professor Dr Ing. Robert Watty, as well as an interactive workshop on CSR within HEIs co-facilitated by Professor Thomas Dobbelstein, Market Research from Duale Hochschule Baden-Wurttemberg, Professor Rachel Freeman, Head of UNAM Cares from University of Namibia, Dr Maria Costa Duarte, Clinical Psychologist from the Instituto Politecnico de Santarem, Portugal and Dr Andiswa Mrasi, Manager Strategic Initiatives and Project Partnerships and Global Engagements from Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa.
Participants discussed what it means to be a socially responsible HEI, accessibility of higher education to socially disadvantaged groups, issues of climate change, and how does the location of a campus influence society, and how CSR principles can be effectively integrated into university operations, governance, curriculum, and community engagement.
In her presentation, Professor Rachel Freeman highlighted embedding CSR into Academic Strategy where discussions emphasized the need for HEIs to align their strategic objectives with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring that social and environmental impact becomes a central institutional priority.
Furthermore, she highlighted Community Engagement and Service-Learning case studies by UNAM Cares as successful models where universities partner with local communities to address real-world challenges, enhancing student learning, while promoting civic responsibility for societal impact.
Professor Freeman concluded her presentation by emphasizing how Environmental Sustainability in campus operations can reduce carbon footprints, adopting best practices for green technologies, and integrating sustainability into infrastructure planning. She further noted: “CSR is not just a corporate concept. In higher education, it’s a moral imperative. By working together globally, we can lead the change toward a more equitable and sustainable future.”
UNAM and DHBW Ravensburg have maintained a decade-long partnership centered on student and staff exchanges.
Dr Romanus Shivoro remarked that “participating in the 13th Partnership Week provided a significant platform to further strengthen our relationship with DHBW Ravensburg and to explore potential collaborations between UNAM and the participating institutions from Europe and Africa.”
The Study Abroad Fair, as part of the Partnership week, effectively promoted UNAM as a destination for semester-long and year-long mobility opportunities both students and staff.
The week concluded with a visit to the Faculty of Engineering in Friedrichshafen where participants were introduced to international collaborative projects between university and industry, followed by a tour of the laboratories and workshops.
This exchange partnership week highlights the central role that HEIs play in promoting socially responsible citizens and institutions. In the face of escalating global challenges, collaborations of this nature are important for driving meaningful and impactful change.
Original story by: Professor Rachel Freeman and Dr Romanus Shivoro
