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Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� recently hosted the launch of the special issue on International Community-Engaged Learning (iCEL) of the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement (). The publication brings together research, reflective essays, and projects that explore how universities, students, and communities worldwide can collaborate to address global challenges. It highlights the diverse benefits of iCEL and offers practical tools for implementing CEL.

The launch on 26th September was attended in hybrid mode by authors and participants joining from across the globe including Dr. Christianne Smit, Dr. Brianne McGonigle Leyh, Julia Addison and Dr. Annisa Triyanti from the Netherlands, Dr. Rina Camus from Hong Kong, Dianne J. Cunanan MD. from the Philippines, Dr. Wafa Singh from India, Dr. Shannon O. Brooks from Georgia and Dr. Unnikrishnan Brijitha Madhavan from Ireland. 

Professor Dr. James Kennedy’s keynote as Dean of Community Engaged Learning (CEL) at the UU set the stage. For our university, CEL is not an add-on but a core element of education. It prepares students for meaningful engagement in society while building partnerships that value the expertise of communities. Three principles guide this work: presence (being active on shared concerns), engagement (equipping students with reflection and responsibility), and democratization of knowledge (recognizing communities as co-creators of knowledge). These take shape through “glocal” approaches that anchor projects in local realities while linking to global challenges.

Panel Highlights

Panel 1 facilitated by Paul Schöpfer examined iCEL in relation to the Global South. Discussions focused on different ways of defining iCEL, the importance of reciprocity, and the role of positionality - students’ awareness of their own privileges, assumptions, and responsibilities. Speakers noted that iCEL experiences challenge students to unlearn biases, cultivate cultural sensitivity, and embrace discomfort as part of transformative learning.

Panel 2 facilitated by Dr. Hana van Ooijen turned to practical experiences of iCEL around the world. Building trust and equitability between institutions and communities was seen as essential. Sustainability remains a concern, given limited funding and institutional barriers. Strong partnerships require cultural humility and thinking carefully about ethical responsibilities such as co-ownership of data and of results among students, educators, and community partners.

Closing Reflections

The event concluded with reflections by Dr. Markha Valenta on the unique value and future of iCEL Key themes included iCEL as a transformative pedagogy; the importance of constructive unpredictability and discomfort; the dynamic relation between global relevance and local application; the centrality of reciprocity and equity; and an ethics of praxis that is relational and affective rather than procedural and distanced. In the context of rising nationalism and exclusive populism in our societies, iCEL offers important possibilities for embracing diverse knowledge systems and a globalist ethics that is inclusive, pluralist and sustainable. 

Across discussions, the shared message was clear: iCEL benefits all parties. Students gain agency and global awareness, educators enrich their teaching through live societal challenges, and communities become active agents shaping knowledge and solving profound challenges. 

At a time when global politics often amplify division, iCEL demonstrates how universities can help bridge divides and bring communities together to imagine sustainable futures.