The Department of Department of Human Development and Relational Sciences provides an all-encompassing strategy towards a holistic approach to research, teaching and community engagement in matters that affect interpersonal relations and human development. The Department offers an innovative interdisciplinary approach through interfacing human development and relations; Human Development is a development approach that focusses on human life span from infancy to old age and encompasses many lenses including biology psychology, culture and social. Relational Sciences on the other hand, deal with relationships, interaction, communication networks, associations and relational strategies or dynamics between organisms or cognitive entities in a social system. Therefore a combination of the two approaches provides a rich foundation for the department’s strategic academic and research engagement in the qualitative and quantitative changes in the structure and framework on society.
Presently, human relations are important aspects of National and Global Development. The centrality of human relations and human development are reflected in the national agenda to end gender based violence and in the 2000 and the 2015 United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Sustainable Development Goals; the... Show more
The Department of Department of Human Development and Relational Sciences provides an all-encompassing strategy towards a holistic approach to research, teaching and community engagement in matters that affect interpersonal relations and human development. The Department offers an innovative interdisciplinary approach through interfacing human development and relations; Human Development is a development approach that focusses on human life span from infancy to old age and encompasses many lenses including biology psychology, culture and social. Relational Sciences on the other hand, deal with relationships, interaction, communication networks, associations and relational strategies or dynamics between organisms or cognitive entities in a social system. Therefore a combination of the two approaches provides a rich foundation for the department’s strategic academic and research engagement in the qualitative and quantitative changes in the structure and framework on society.
Presently, human relations are important aspects of National and Global Development. The centrality of human relations and human development are reflected in the national agenda to end gender based violence and in the 2000 and the 2015 United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Sustainable Development Goals; the 4 out of 8 just concluded goals (Universal Access to Education, Gender Equity, reduce child and maternal mortality) are about equality and promotion of healthy and positive human growth. The development goals target to reduce high maternal and child mortality, poverty, food insecurity, high fertility, poor access to education and HIV/AIDS. The 2030 sustainable UN development targets are more encompassing and give a basis for taking a human development approach.
Training, research and community engagement Strategies
Women Health Promotion and Gender are the flagship for the training, research and community engagement strategies of the Department. The Department offers an undergraduate training program Bachelor of Science in Planning and Community Development which is as a fully-fledged program which provides students with knowledge, skills and competences to analyze gender and women health issues.
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