A review of the Community-University Partnership Programme (CUPP)

A shift in innovation policy implementation is increasingly evident in the deliberations and activities of a wide range of government agencies and institutions in the national system of innovation. There is growing consensus that while innovation has thus far been the domain of formal science, technology and innovation institutions, in South Africa, we need to extend our orientation to be more inclusive of people and activities in the informal and rural economies, to take into account other forms of knowledge and to understand the complex social and cultural dynamics that influence the adoption and diffusion of innovation. It is evident that universities, through the imperative to strengthen responsiveness to social needs and to promote community engagement, have key roles to play in the new innovation agenda.