Communiversity through Collaborative Autoethnography: Reimagining Transformation in Higher Education in Nepal by Engaging Communities

Four educators from Nepal engaged in a collaborative autoethnographic inquiry to examine how community engagement can transform higher education through interdisciplinary, reflective, and contextually grounded approaches. Drawing on data from a two-month pilot residential program in Panchkhal Municipality, Nepal, we explored how students participated in holistic learning experiences rooted in the local community experiences that blurred the boundaries between academia and everyday life. This article responds to the research question: How does a collaborative autoethnography of four educator-researchers reveal the tensions and possibilities of enacting epistemic justice, fostering student agency, and achieving scalability in Nepal’s Communiversity initiative, a community-embedded higher education model? We analyzed journals, field notes, and student interactions to trace key themes. Findings reveal that co-designed learning with local stakeholders not only deepens disciplinary understanding but also challenges social hierarchies and develops a strong sense of agency among students. Simultaneously, we reflect on persistent structural barriers that complicate the scaling of such models. This research contributes to broader conversations on decolonizing higher education and reimagining knowledge systems that are inclusive, dialogic, and socially just.