Karen Venter heads the Service-Learning Division within the Directorate of Community Engagement, at the University of the Free State (UFS). Having a PhD in Higher Education Studies, with specialisation in the field of community engagement and service-learning, she is responsible for the institutionalisation of engaged scholarship and glocal networking to advance higher education engagement. Karen has presented papers and workshops at various national and international conferences, published journal articles and co-authored book chapters. She is certified by the University of Victoria as mentor in the Knowledge for Change (K4C) initiative run by the UNESCO Chair of Community Based Research and Social Responsibility and in partnership with North-West University, heads the South African Northern K4C HUB at the UFS.
- Community engagement and Development
- Service-Learning in the curriculum
- Community Based Research
- Appreciative Inquiry as Positive Action Research Genre
- Higher Education Studies