Higher education-community partnership: Extricating value addition with specific reference to student internship

Abstract

The paper discusses higher education-community partnerships, such as students’ internships and research that are often intended to promote quality, relevance, skills’ enrichment and socio-economic development. The paper assesses the management and value addition of students’ internships and higher education-community research partnerships. It critiques; the planning, organization, implementation, monitoring and assessment of students’ internship activities. The functionality and levels of participation in higher education community research is also analysed. Horkheimer (1982)’s Critical Theory was adopted to explain the relationship between higher education institutions (HEIs) and the community in which they reside. It is concluded that the power relations between the community and HEIs are lopsided. It is recommended that HEIs engage the community in a more meaningful and equitable fashion.