HEA in the UK Grants UoB International Partnership

UoB announced that it will sign tomorrow (Monday) an international partnership agreement with the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in the UK, which shall pave the way for the University of Bahrain to present its HEA accredited programs for academic development to other universities and educational institutions.

Director of the UoB Unit for Teaching Excellence and Leadership, Dr. Sanaa Al-Mansoori said the University, which commenced cooperation with HEA in 2013, shall be the first regional university to attain such a level of partnership with HEA. In fact, she added, UoB will be one of only four universities around the world which are awarded this level of partnership (Two in Australia and One in the UK); an issue that manifests UoB successes over the past ten years in training and developing its cadres, and urging its faculty members to adopt the latest best practices in teaching and excellence by virtue of the Higher Diploma for Academic Practices, which it offers to the faculty members.

The agreement is due to be signed on the sidelines of the First Forum for University Education Development using Procedural Methodologies, being organised by the UoB Unit for Teaching Excellence and Leadership and HEA, tomorrow (Monday).

Dr. Al-Mansoori said: “The Forum being held under the patronage of UoB President, Professor Riyad Hamza promotes the adoption of procedural research to develop teaching skills”. She added “the Forum, being held at Zain e-Learning Center in Sakhir campus, seeks to develop academic practices – inter alia – by exchanging experiences and stories of success pertinent to the positive impact of utilising procedural methodologies”.

The Forum will focus on a number of issues, including an introduction to procedural methodologies to develop teaching skills, higher education pertinent development of learning and teaching, and successes with regard to the positive impact of utilising procedural methodologies to develop teaching skills.

Dr. Al-Mansoori said the keynote speaker at the Forum shall be the CEO of HEA, Professor Stephanie Marshal, who will also represent HEA at the signing ceremony of the partnership agreement with UoB.

The Forum crowns UoB experience in adopting the modern education best practices, whereas UoB embarked over the past 10 years to introduce the PCAP Program to its faculty members, which opts to arm faculty members with the latest teaching practices in line with modern methodologies.

Dr. Al-Mansoori also said the Forum will avail the speakers and participants the opportunity to exchange the best academic practices using “procedural methodologies”. She expressed hope the event will trigger critiquing of faculty members of academic practices with a view to develop the same in the interest of students, and compliments the quality of education.