Taif University (TU) in Saudi Arabia held a celebration event in February to mark their third cohort of the Certificate of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (CLTHE) and recognise a growing community of academics achieving Fellowship.
During the event Taif University also signed up for the delivery of a fourth CLTHE and a bespoke four-day leadership programme demonstrating their commitment to teaching excellence and leadership development going forward.
The event was part of a wider Middle Eastern visit by our International Partnerships Manager, Kristian Rumble, which also included two days in Bahrain visiting Kingdom University, AMA International University and the Applied Science University (ASU).
Discussions were held at Kingdom University (KU) about the potential of delivering a leadership programme at the university in the future and Kristian also delivered a presentation to academics at AMA International on the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) and the benefits of applying for fellowship as part of their Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
At ASU he met with Dr Faiza Zitouni, Assistant Vice President (Academic Affairs and Development) and PFHEA. As strategic members with their own Advance HE accredited programme, it was the perfect opportunity to discuss ASU’s commitment to Teaching and Learning development and staff recognition and to discuss how Advance HE may assist their entrepreneurial strategy in the future.
Fellowship in the Middle East
KU’s Prof Saad Darwish is currently applying for his Principal Fellowship which would bring the number of Principal Fellows in Bahrain to five and there is a growing community of Fellows at KU with 24 academics recognised as Advance HE Fellows.
There are currently 245 Advance HE Fellows in Saudi Arabia and the recent success of Taif University’s Prof Abdul Rahman Al Asmari in achieving his Principal Fellowship has brought the number of Principal Fellows in the country to eight.
The support of Principal Fellowship is a commitment by senior management to Fellowship as a globally recognised mark of quality and teaching excellence.
Importance of relationships
The Taif University event was an opportunity to celebrate TU’s commitment to teaching excellence whilst at the same time celebrating the relationship between both organisations. It included a poster presentation showcasing work from all three CLTHE cohorts and was followed by a guided tour of the historical town of Taif.
Dr Khaled Althubeiti opened proceedings with a presentation acknowledging the hard work and commitment of all staff to improving Teaching and Learning and the close relationship TU has with Advance HE.
Kristian also gave a speech acknowledging the hard work of all involved and emphasising Advance HE’s commitment to supporting TU in the future. He said:
“Advance HE has a strong commitment to the development of Higher Education across the world and the partnership with Taif University is a fantastic example of that commitment in practice.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved with the CLTHE and the development of Teaching and Learning, not just at Taif but across the Middle East, and hope that this productive partnership will continue for a long time to come.”
He also paid thanks specifically to Prof Abdul Rahman Al Asmari, PhD, PFHEA, Professor of Applied Linguistics and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Development.
Following the visit to Taif, Kristian then met with staff at Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University (PNU) in Saudi Arabia for an update on the early phase training to support programme development, followed by a meeting with colleagues at Prince Sattam to share the success of the recent Teaching Skills Masterclass and explore the possibility of further programmes.
Click here for more information on international membership and the services we can provide for your institution.