How might higher education orient professionals towards social justice? The index of pro-public good capabiities in South Africa.

Melanie Walker
Director of Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development (CRHED), University of the Free Sate, South Africa.
Tuesday, 7 October 2014 - 12:00

This seminar will explore a case for how university-based professional education in South Africa might contribute to the public good, in particular to poverty-reduction.
The main arguments are located within the domain of human development which recognizes that while economic well-being is necessary to human well-being, it is insufficient.In this conception of human development the focus is on improving lives and expanding choices and opportunities in a range of dimensions of life.

At the centre of the seminar is a normative ‘Public-Good Professional Capabilities Index’ generated  by combining insights from the capabilities approach and ‘ideal-type’ professionalism literature with interviews and discussions with students,  lecturers,  managers,  alumni and non-governmental organizations  in five professional fields (engineering, law, public health, theology and social work) in three universities in South Africa.

Prof. Melanie Walker

Chair in Higher Education and Human Development; Senior Research Professor; Director of Centre for  Research on Higher Education and Development (CRHED), University of the Free Sate, South Africa.




 

Place: 

Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación
Edificio 8E, Acceso J, Planta 4ª (Sala Descubre. Cubo Rojo)
Universidad Politécnica de Valencia | Camino de Vera s/n

Short CV: 

Melanie Walker is Chair in Higher Education and Human Development; Senior Research Professor; Director of Centre for  Research on Higher Education and Development (CRHED), University of the Free Sate, South Africa.