NEWS
After a Thorough Review by the British Academy of Higher Education, the Unit for Teaching Excellence at the University of Bahrain Obtains International Accreditation for all its Programs
Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Khadija Abdul Salam)
September 25, 2022
All programs of the Unit for Teaching Excellence and Leadership at the University of Bahrain have obtained international accreditation from the British Academy of Higher Education (Advance HE), for the next four years, from September 2022 to September 2026.
The accreditation included three programs: the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PCAP), the Certificate of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and the Certificate of New to Teaching in Bahrain (NTB).
The President of the University of Bahrain, Dr. Jawaher bint Shaheen Al-Mudhahki, lauded the efforts of the Unit for Teaching Excellence and Leadership in focusing on enhancing teaching and learning, developing leadership skills, practices, and academic performance of the academians of the University of Bahrain and their counterparts in other universities who enroll in various development programs, which enabled the University to obtain the academic accreditation of the British Academy of Higher Education for the coming years.
Dr. Al-Mudhahki made this statement when she received Dr. Diana Abdel Karim Al-Jahrmi, Director of the Unit for Teaching Excellence and Leadership on Sunday September 25, 2022, to congratulate her on this achievement. Dr. Al-Mudhahki stated, “We support all sincere efforts aimed at developing academians, as this has a positive impact on students’ achievement and critical thinking, as a result of advanced academic practices.” She stressed that the teacher’s job witnesses rapid and radical changes, which need continuous support and development.
The Unit for Teaching Excellence and Leadership at the University of Bahrain obtained the accreditation of Academy of British Higher Education in the United Kingdom in 2013 as the first strategic partner in higher education in the Middle East. The accreditation at the time included two programs: Continuing Professional Development Certificate, and Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practices.
For her part, Dr. Al-Jahrami confirmed that the Unit obtained accreditation thanks to the University’s support for the Unit and its programs, and the comprehensive and strenuous work and effort of the Unit’s team members. The accreditation also enhances the partnership between the University and the Academy to develop academic practices and to provide opportunities for fellowship and associate fellowship with the Academy. It is worthy to note that the Kingdom of Bahrain ranked fourth in the world in fellowship and associate fellowship. During the next four years, the Unit will seek to introduce innovative programs that aim to develop academic performance in light of the digitization of education and hybrid learning in collaboration with the Academy and partners in regional higher education institutions, and programs to include advanced fellowship and major fellowship.
Dr. Al-Jahrami added that obtaining accreditation reflects the Academy’s trust in the quality of the outcomes of the continuing professional development programs at the University of Bahrain and its role in developing the teaching and learning process in line with the University’s strategy and the Academy’s policy as well as the emerging requirements in higher education and the labor market.
Dr. Al-Jahrami pointed out that the accreditation was based on a thorough assessment that lasted from April to August 2022, which resulted in the Academy’s satisfaction of the mechanisms of continuous professional development at the University, and the quality of the procedures followed in providing all programs in terms of logistics, content, assessment, governance and support to program participants and graduates, which the Unit fulfilled with a high degree of professionalism, according to the Academy’s report.
The meeting was attended by the Vice President for Academic Programs and Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Mohammad Reda Qader.
