Vol 1 - Support Services Ufs Ac Za - University of the Free State

eduction and sustainable development, as a meansto promote the asset base of people, their livelihoods,their empowerment, and their quality of life. ThisCluster seeks to provide a research portal for transdisciplinary,multidisciplinary and disciplinary researchto address these critical issues.The Cluster focuses predominantly on the nonmetropolitanareas of South Africa, with the FreeState, Northern Cape and central South Africanhinterland as key regions of interest. Focus areasare based on the available assets, capabilities andresources of individuals and communities,including natural, physical, financial, social andpersonal assets.Focus Areas1. Local development in resource-poorenvironmentsThe aim of this Focus Area is to promote local developmentin ‘resource-poor environments’, whichis interpreted as areas that are lacking in eco nomicassets, such as land, physical infra structure, entrepreneurship,commercial finance and technicalskills. This includes a strong emphasis on localitybaseddevelop ment in specific geographic en vironments,with their specific needs and problems.2. Empowerment, leadership andcapacity building for developmentThis Focus Area is primarily human-centred, in thathuman skills, employee and workplace skills as wellas leadership capabilities are emphasised. Theresearch focus includes civil society, both the publicand private sectors, non-government organisations,and the in formal sector.Cluster Coordinator: Prof Gustav Visser, Department ofGeography.3. Governance and management forimpactDue to skills shortages and a lack of manage ment andleadership capacity, many policies, strate gies and32