The Professional Fellowship in University Teaching and Learning for the 2023-2024 Cohort was lunched on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, with the participation of 40 faculty members from 16 Saudi universities. The program is organized by the Deanship of Academic Development at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University (IAU) in partnership with the University of Turku in Finland (UTU).
The launch ceremony was attended by H.E. the IAU President, Prof. Abdullah M. Al-Rubaish, who highlighted the university advancement in empowering faculty members professionally and thanked UTU for their collaboration. The Vice Rector of UTU, Prof. Piia Bjorn, also expressed her appreciation for the partnership and emphasized the common goal of developing faculty members and improving teaching and learning practices. The Vice President for Academic Affairs at IAU, Dr. Ghazi Al-Otaibi, noted the diversity of the participants, who represent various specializations and academic degrees from 16 Saudi universities. The Dean of Academic Development at IAU, Dr. Mohammed Alkathiri, stated that the program fosters a community of practice for faculty members and that the deanship's experience in the previous four years was fruitful and pioneering, as 163 professional fellows graduated from the program.
The program aims to enhance the professional competencies of faculty members in university teaching and learning through professional development sessions, mentoring, peer feedback, and action research projects. The program also provides an opportunity for networking and collaboration among faculty members from different universities and disciplines.
