The University is set to launch TEACH - a pioneering programme aimed at ensuring excellence in teaching and learning across AKU’s six campuses. The move follows the accreditation of TEACH by Advance HE, a global body committed to fostering the highest standards in teaching, during a joint event in London.
Advance HE’s Associate Head of Global Partnerships Becky Smith presented the certificate of accreditation to Aga Khan University President Firoz Rasul at the ceremony on 30th June and commented: “Excellent teaching is an essential component in the creation of outstanding student learning experiences.
“I am absolutely delighted to support AKU tomorrow as well as today, in its journey towards enhancing teaching excellence in order to inspire learning. AKU staff who have gained fellowship now have access to a global community. Advance HE has over 103,000 fellows globally - all of them passionate about teaching - that’s some community!”
The year-long TEACH programme, a continuous professional development programme for faculty, will be run by AKU’s Networks of Quality, Teaching and Learning (QTL_net). The programme will see the University’s 12 HEA fellows mentor and assess teaching faculty as well as staff that support teaching as they explore best practices in the profession.
TEACH will provide faculty with the opportunity to assess their impact on student learning by engaging in a wide range of professional educational development opportunities both within QTL_net as well as outside AKU. Participants will then be supported as they apply for two categories of HEA fellowships offered by Advance HE which will benchmark their teaching experience and expertise against the highest global standards.
Dr Tashmin Khamis, founding director of QTL_net, highlighted the need for faculty to receive support and mentoring as they develop their teaching skills.
She said: “Faculty across the world come to their universities with their PhD content experience and expertise, but not necessarily any teaching qualification or experience or expertise, so we decided to learn from others to engage with faculty.
“We wanted to ensure our work was following good practice and making an impact, to build a sustainable resource base and to support our faculty. This led us to our search for best practice to ensure that we were really world class, and that’s how we came across the HEA fellowships at Advance HE.”
Underlining the importance of teaching to the University, AKU Provost Dr Carl Amrhein stated: “Accreditation by Advance HE is a singular achievement of our institution… [and] to achieve this status in so short a time, across six countries, is nothing short of remarkable… This work strengthens both our student and faculty experiences ensuring we deliver an integrated experience.
“This will enable AKU to form the very first Teacher’s Academy in the developing world,” he added.
Faculty interested in TEACH will have the chance to attend an introductory seminar which will be offered virtually across all AKU campuses in September 2018.
