A Systematic Review of University Social Responsibility in Post-Conflict Societies: The Case of the Great Lakes Region of East Africa

The Social Responsibility (SR) commitments of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) alongside their long-standing functions of teaching and research have been recognized in literature. However, University Social Responsibility (USR) remains a relatively unexplored topic, especially in the post-conflict societies of the Great Lakes Region of East Africa (GLREA). The main objective of this paper is to document USR best practices, challenges and opportunities in GLREA universities. To reach this objective, a search was conducted in the major academic databases, where ten studies out of 93 found from 2000 to 2020 were included for review. Additionally, universities’ website materials, particularly Vision and Mission Statements (VMS) were considered to complement the review in a well established sense of USR in GLREA universities. A narrative review was conducted because quantitative data were not feasible due to a significant level of heterogeneity between the included studies. The overall findings indicated that the scholarship of engagement in the regional context is not a luxury of HEIs as it is in many western universities, but rather a necessity in countries which are still undergoing the early stages of reconstruction. Specifically, the results obtained were twofold: First, the integrated SR in GLREA universities is an emerging agenda, despite its potential for growth. Second, the development of USR in the GLREA is connected to and influenced by the history of African Higher Education, and the institutional traces of that history’s influence can be found in GLREA. Finally, recommendations for USR practitioners are given, and a conclusion is drawn