University Education and 'Concern for Community': A Qualitative Study of the Corporate Social Responsibility of a Faith-Based University in a Nigerian Community.

Available research has raised significant concerns about the tensions that often exist between universities andtheir host communities. This study examined how Evangel University Akaeze, a faith-based institution, has utilisedcorporate social responsibility (CSR) as a tool for community engagement to foster peaceful coexistence between theuniversity and its host communities. It adopted a purposeful, non-probability survey research design to explore universityactors' and host communities' self-accounts of CSR. The study was conducted between August and September 2022 at theuniversity and the host communities, Ntezi and Okpoto, respectively, in Ohaukwu and Ishielu Local Government Areas ofEbonyi State, Nigeria. The participants in this study were adults aged between 36 and 65 years, distributed as follows: 36-45 (34.3%), 46-55 (22.2%), and 56-65 (44.4%). The results show that the university's interests in corporate sustainabilityare directed towards quality education, engagement in water treatment research, health outreach, open scholarshipawards, 20% fee rebate, strategic hiring of skilled and unskilled labour from host communities, promotion of transportbusinesses; and a diplomatic security relationship between the university and host community through effectivecommunication. 90% of the junior staff were intentionally recruited from the host communities, helping to build resilienthuman capacity and infrastructure for a sustained relationship between the town and gown.