Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has announced its collaboration with Advance HE to invest in faculty development and ensure successful implementation of ADU’s employability strategy. A UK-based, member-led, sector-owned charity, Advance HE partners with higher education institutions across the world to improve higher education for staff, students and society. Together, the two entities will enact a strategy focused on embedding graduate attributes valued by employers in the curriculum. This will then be reinforced through student participation in co-curricular activities to ensure students develop the necessary future work skills that will serve to enhance their employability.

ADU aims to enhance the quality of teaching and learning by upskilling faculty teaching competence and learning leadership in the university. In collaboration with the Advance HE Fellowship, a portfolio of initiatives was introduced to meet individual development needs from entry-level faculty up to senior management. The Advance HE Fellowship demonstrates a personal and institutional commitment to professionalism in learning and teaching in higher education. Fellowships are awarded across four categories which reflect an academic career journey from being an excellent individual teacher to providing institutional teaching and learning strategic leadership. The categories include Associate Fellowship (AFHEA), Fellowship (FHEA), Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) and Principal Fellowship (PFHEA). The first phase of this collaboration has resulted in the accreditation of 28 faculty members from ADU as Advance HE Fellows, with three senior academics accredited as Senior Fellows and the Associate Provost achieving Principal Fellow accreditation.

Professor Philip Hamill, Associate Provost, Research and Academic Development (ADU), said: “I’m delighted to be part of this development journey with my colleagues to advance the quality of teaching and learning at ADU. Through this collaboration we will ensure our graduates have the attributes valued by employers which will support them throughout their career journey. Our faculty fellows’ hard work reflects their professional commitment to delivering an engaging learning environment and providing high-quality education. This collaboration reinforces our capabilities both individually and as an institution. This is a great achievement for our whole community and faculty members whose work is being recognized and rewarded as well as students who enjoy a world-class academic experience.”

Ian Hall, Advance HE Head of International Membership, said: “We have a close and productive partnership with Abu Dhabi University (ADU). It’s been an honor to work with a university like ADU that is committed to investing in faculty development to achieve Fellowship accreditation and support the university's strategy by introducing innovative teaching methods to equip their students with the needed skills that employers demand.”

ADU is an International Access Member of Advance HE, working together through several courses over the years to build capacity in learning and teaching. In working towards the fellowship supported by the Professional Standards Framework, faculty embrace a reflective approach to teaching and commit to continuously improving their career through Fellowship and influence students with the needed academic knowledge.

For more information about ADU's programs, visit: https://www.adu.ac.ae/home