Abstract:  Academics globally have been called to investigate and contribute to addressing growing structural inequality, social exclusion, and disconnection. In recent decades, critically engaged research with a social justice orientation has emerged, aiming to bridge scholarly inquiry with community accountability. Within this context, two interconnected areas have gained prominence in academia: diversifying curricula and forming meaningful partnerships with disadvantaged communities to co‐create knowledge and transform unequal structures in universities and society. We argue that such partnerships require a critique of and commitment to a “multidirectional flow of knowledge,” one that recognizes the complex, multifaceted nature of knowledge that moves in different directions. Using Meraka Village as an example of a university‐community partnership in Bloemfontein, South Africa, we demonstrate the value of co‐creative partnerships. This partnership prioritizes mutual learning, equal collaboration, and equitable sharing of benefits. We highlight how co‐learning—based on integrating indigenous and academic knowledges—has enabled the innovation and transformation necessary for reimagining community structures. Through this, we argue for amplifying the role of higher education champions as agents of change and for applying a power‐sensitive lens when engaging with disadvantaged communities in transformative work.

Keywords:  co‐learning; decolonial methodologies; higher education engagement; indigenous knowledge; reciprocal partnerships; social justice

Published:   12 February 2026

Issue:   Vol 14 (2026): Diversity and Change Agents in Higher Education (In Progress)