Karen Venter

University of the Free State, South Africa

Biographical Abstracts

Karen Venter is an engaged scholarship practitioner at the University of the Free State, South Africa, where she advances community-engaged teaching, research, and learning.  Venter plays a key role in institutionalising engaged scholarship, facilitating cross-faculty collaborations, and leading initiatives such as the annual Community Engagement Learning Festival.

Her work centres on community-based and action research, with a strong emphasis on appreciative inquiry, asset-based development, and co-creation with communities. She coordinates the Knowledge for Change North Hub under the UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and contributes to national and international scholarly networks. Venter has presented widely at conferences, published academic work, and actively supports capacity building in engaged scholarship across higher education.

Areas of Expertise

• Engaged scholarship and institutionalisation of community engagement
• Service-learning and curriculum innovation
• Community-based participatory and action research, more specific appreciative inquiry
• University-community partnerships and knowledge co-creation
• Student engaged citizenship - community engagement and transformative student learning