Haile T. Debas Teachers’ Academy: A home ‘of and for faculty'
Situated within the Network of Quality, Teaching, and Learning (QTL_net), the Haile T. Debas Teachers’ Academy, is the first interdisciplinary Academy in the developing world, which is made up of outstanding AKU teachers, who are recognized for their excellence in teaching and leadership in higher education.
The AKU's Haile T. Debas Teachers' Academy, previously known as the AKU's Teachers' Academy, was
officially renamed in April 2022. This renaming was initiated by His Highness the Aga Khan, Chancellor of the Aga Khan University, in recognition of Dr. Haile T. Debas's remarkable contributions to AKU. Dr. Debas served as a trustee on the AKU Board for over 12 years, leading to the growth and development of the University.
Please click here to watch a tribute video honoring Dr. Haile T. Debas: A Tale of Teaching Transformation.
The purpose of establishing a Haile T. Debas Teachers’ Academy at AKU is to:
- Reward and Recognise Excellence in Teaching
- Develop a Community of Practice of Teaching Leaders
- Enhance Interdisciplinary Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
- Create a Pool of Peer Mentors to Enhance Teaching
Building on the Communities of Practice ethos of the Network of Quality, Teaching, and Learning (QTL_net), the key principles that will drive the TA (and hence membership) are:
- Recognition of Teaching Excellence
- Focus on being interdisciplinary and university-wide;
- Ensuring transparent and standard criterion-based membership;
- Growing the membership slowly and keeping it ‘high profile and prestigious;
To guide the implementation of the Haile T. Debas Teachers’ Academy in its first five years, the Teachers’ Academy Advisory Body (TAAB), chaired by Dr Haile Debas, founder of the first-ever academy of medical educators, University of California, San Francisco was formed in August 2019. Deans and designated faculty members from all AKU campuses as well as some external AKU partners are part of this Advisory Body.
