Islamabad:A six-week skill-based summer professional development program for newly appointed faculty members has begun under the auspices of the recently launched National Academy of Higher Education Academy (NAHE), Islamabad. As many as 27 young faculty members of various subjects from across Pakistan are participating in the program.
Lt. Gen. (R) Muhammad Asghar, Executive Director HEC, was chief guest in the opening ceremony. Dr. Zulfiqar Gilani Consultant HEC, Mr. Fida Hussain, Director General (Learning Innovation) HEC, Dr. Steven Burian, lead resource person from University of Utah, USA and Mr. Ghulam Nabi, Director (Learning Innovation) HEC were also present.
Addressing the audience, the Executive Director HEC appreciated the efforts of NAHE for organizing this workshop. He said that learning is a continuous journey that never ends and there should be no satiation in seeking knowledge. He emphasised that education is a combination of knowledge (Ilm) and courtesy (Adab). While knowledge relates to the intellectual capacity, courtesy (Adab) focuses on character building. Teachers must develop their students into wholesome persons and work-ready graduates.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr. Fida Hussain welcomed the participants and thanked the universities for allowing their faculty members to participate in the workshop. He said that National Academy of Higher Education has been established as an apex institution for professional development of teachers and university leaders in the country. “NAHE will serve as a standardized sustainable body for designing, developing, conducting and facilitating continuous professional training for teachers and university leadership in the country. This training will cover teaching-learning, applied research and governance.”
Dr. Steve Burian said that skills are key to professional development of teachers. “A teacher cannot be effective without having teaching-learning skills. This workshop will equip new faculty members with strategies and tools to overcome the challenges of learners and develop in students the critical thinking and practical skills.”
Dr. Zulfiqar Gilani advised the participants to benefit from this opportunity as NAHE had hired services of renowned national and international resource persons. “The programme will emphasize principles and practices of effective teaching and research as core capacities of a faculty member.”