Uni of Adelaide is finalist in global teaching excellence award

Friday, 14 July 2017

The University of Adelaide is one of 27 institutions worldwide shortlisted for the UK Higher Education Academy’s inaugural Global Teaching Excellence Awards.

The award, in partnership with the Times Higher Education, is open to all providers of higher education and received entries from around the world.

The award recognises institution-wide approaches to teaching excellence in three main areas: excellence in the leadership of teaching and learning; excellence in teaching; and excellence in student support.

“Being shortlisted is a testament to the dedication of our staff and the great work we are doing to ensure that the education and student support we provide, across the University, is truly world class,” says Professor Mike Brooks, interim Vice-Chancellor at the University of Adelaide.

“The University of Adelaide is recognised globally for its research quality and outcomes; it is tremendous to complement that with this acknowledgement of our equal commitment to research-led learning and teaching excellence, and to our students’ success.”

Reflecting its commitment to learning and teaching excellence, the University initiated the annual C9/Group of Eight China-Australia University Summit on Teaching and Learning and just last month partnered with University College London (UCL) and McMaster University on a new international conference series on research-based higher education, ‘Connecting Higher Education: International perspectives on research-based education’.

“These awards aim to promote global higher education sector collaboration and sharing of teaching strategies and best practice,” says Professor Pascale Quester, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

“We are proud to contribute to this objective, and to follow up this first research-based education conference with the second one in Adelaide in 2019, again in partnership with UCL and McMaster University.”

The University’s commitment to research-led education of the highest quality and value is underpinned by an ethos which values equally the roles of teaching and research. Strategic initiatives include:

• The Small Group Discovery Experience for all undergraduates, in which student groups work on inquiry projects under expert researcher guidance – enabling students to develop as independent, critical learners through participation in discovery and new knowledge creation;
• The establishment of the Adelaide Education Academy, with Education Specialists as its members, reinforcing academic career progression on the basis of teaching excellence and promoting leadership and best practice in learning and teaching;
• Establishment of an institution-wide Adelaide Graduate Award program, currently in pilot, supporting formal recognition of students’ extra-curricular career readiness achievements;
• Introduction of a variety of programs aimed at supporting student success and promoting interaction between cultural groups, including Experience Adelaide which links international students with local families.

The overall winner of the Global Teaching Excellence Award will be announced at an award ceremony in London on 4 September.

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