KEYNOTE # 1: Louis Volante (PhD)
 
Keynote Abstract
 
Educational Recovery and Renewal in the Wake of the Pandemic
 
This keynote discusses global educational recovery and renewal efforts in the wake of the pandemic. The presentation outlines some of the more salient learning losses that have been documented cross-nationally and disaggregates results to consider more vulnerable student populations. The impact of policy interventions is also examined to evaluate the efficacy of various education reforms. Findings from a recent analysis of 1.45 million student test profiles derived from Programme in International Student Assessment (PISA) is also discussed in relation to both cognitive and non-cognitive skills. The presentation also considers UNESCO and Work Bank data in relation to global south educational jurisdictions.
 
Short Biography - Louis Volante (PhD)
 
Louis Volante (PhD) is a Distinguished Professor at Brock University and a Professorial Fellow at UNU-MERIT / Maastricht Graduate School of Governance. His interdisciplinary scholarship focuses on the global governance of education; politics, policy, and large-scale reform; political economy of education systems; international achievement surveys and policy diffusion; and impact evaluation of policies and programmes. Professor Volante’s research is widely referenced in academic and policy communities and has received continuous funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). His current SSHRC funded research examines the short- and long-term impact of the pandemic on cognitive and non-cognitive student learning outcomes.
 
Full Biography:
https://brocku.ca/education/faculty-and-staff/dr-louis-volante/
https://unu.edu/merit/about/research-fellow/prof-louis-volante

KEYNOTE #2: Professor Vhonani Netshandama
 
Bridging continents for transformative higher education: harnessing the power of the scholarship of community engagement in SA
Vhonani (Olive) Netshandama
University of Venda
Abstract
This paper explores the scholarship of community engagement (CE) as a transformative force for higher education in South Africa (SA), offering a robust alternative to the enduring dominance of Eurocentric epistemologies. Rooted in decolonial emancipatory paradigms and the principles of Ubuntu, it will outline how participatory, co-creation methodologies with local communities can facilitate epistemic and cognitive justice. I will share insights from my work integrating indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) into higher education curricula, highlighting collaborations with traditional and municipal leadership that have fostered thriving ecosystems for sustainable communities. This paper invites sustained dialogue on the transformative potential of community engagement scholarship in reshaping higher education. Drawing on White Paper 3, of 1997 (a programme for the transformation of higher education), of post-apartheid SA, which emphasizes equity, redress, and academic freedom, it critiques ongoing epistemic violations and the politics of conformity.  It will highlight how strategic collaborations with Caribbean education partners, a collaboration that promises to enrich transformative education through shared challenges and innovative solutions, can foster responsive, locally grounded, and global competitiveness for sustainable communities. By driving community engagement as a pathway to a more inclusive, socially responsive higher education system, we can maximize resilience through innovation, sustainability, inclusion, and impact.
Keywords: Community engagement, decolonial scholarship, indigenous knowledge systems, epistemic justice, ubuntu, participatory research, higher education transformation, education white paper 3, Caribbean collaboration. sustainable communities
 
Short bio
Professor Vhonani Olive Netshandama is a trained nurse with a PhD in Nursing Education and over twenty years of experience in community-engaged research. As Director of Community Engagement at the University of Venda, she has pioneered participatory research methodologies and decolonial scholarship by integrating indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) into higher education and local development initiatives. Her innovative work includes creating intergenerational learning spaces and collaborating with traditional and municipal leadership to build a thriving ecosystem for sustainable communities. Recognized for her strong supervision capabilities, she mentors interdisciplinary teams in IKS, community engagement, social entrepreneurship and open inclusive innovation public health, effectively bridging academic inquiry with practical, locally grounded solutions.
Vhonani (Olive) Netshandama | LinkedIn-83513622/
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2466-6099
 
 

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