International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia

“Communiversity” for Community Empowerment (C4CE)

Moving away from the idea of the ‘Ivory Tower’ of a university, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is committed to bringing back the role of a university as the leveller of society through the “communiversity” model – co-existence and co-creation of knowledge between university and its surrounding community.

“Communiversity” is a model of empowerment and transformation of both university and the community. Communiversity for Community Empowerment is a showcase of how IIUM translates this communiversity concept into real actions on the ground.

The project has benefited more than 300 underprivileged community members through nine initiatives, through three stages towards community empowerment; 1) 3 community service projects based on financial aid; 2) 3 community engagement projects based on educational approach; 3) 3 community empowerment initiatives for capacity building.

The projects were properly crafted and designed to ensure that all continuum of community engagement took place; from community service, community engagement and community empowerment which eventually led to community transformation. 

Top 3 Learnings

1. We harnessed our skills in strategizing and managing community engagement projects for community transformation.
2. We developed empathy for the underprivileged, which drives us to a higher level of community engagement.
3. We acquire skills to collaborate and build a strategic partnership to help society ensure a holistic approach towards Whole Community Transformation.