EDUCATION NEWS University Teaching Qualification High quality education is seen as one of the most important pillars of UNESCO-IHE. This is true for the content of the programmes, but also for the way knowledge is transferred. For the latter, UNESCO-IHE staff are currently offered a University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) programme focused on active learning and aligned teaching, within the framework of staff development. The UTQ is a programme aimed at improving the didactical knowledge and skills of the teaching staff. This course is focused on activating students in classrooms and to make them more responsible for their own learning. Lecturers are trained to organize their courses in an aligned way, meaning that they know how to formulate learning objectives, can choose the most relevant didactial approaches to achieve those objectives and to test these in an appropriate examination. All UNESCO-IHE academic staff members are obliged to follow this programme within the coming years. After successful completion of the programme, lecturers will be awarded a diploma which allows them to teach at any university in The Netherlands. At this moment 13 staff members have already obtained their diploma. Another 30 are currently undergoing the training, and 10 will start with the programme within the next couple of months. Assela Pathirana, Senior Lecturer in Urban Drainage and Sewerage, who successfully undertook the course said: “When it comes to the fundamentals of teaching and learning, I am quite traditional. Following this course was a real eye-opener. For example when students learn, their prime focus is getting all the questions right on the exam. But what is the best way for a lecturer to align a course so that the students will achieve their learning objectives? It may not be rocket science, but still putting these lessons into practice requires serious attention. I have already changed some of my evaluation methods.” In view of quality assurance of joint educational activities it was found important that also staff of partnering institutes share a common view on education and that a similar programme should be offered to the teaching staff of these partner institutes. A start has been made with Sriwijaija University and CKNet, both in Indonesia. Both UNESCO-IHE and Sriwijaija University are responsible for the implementation of a joint Master specialisation in Integrated Lowland Development and Management Planning (DD-ILDM). Students follow part of the programme in Delft and partly in Indonesia. Courses are taught by both UNESCO-IHE staff and Sriwijaija University staff. Several years ago academic staff of CKNet already received a basic didactic training. This UTQ course continued on what they have already learned. This programme was organised by Erick de Jong, Educational Advisor, in collaboration with Corrie de Haan, the external educational advisor and coach for the UTQ programme. The programme was highly appreciated and seen as very useful by the participants. e.dejong@unesco-ihe.org Revitalisation of Port Development Courses Port Engineering has always been an integral part of the training provided by (UNESCO-)IHE. Lectures on design of quay walls and breakwaters were given since the start of the Institute in 1955. This year was the 47th edition of the Port Seminar, which is dealing with economic and planning aspects of ports in addition to recent developments in the technical field. The demand for well trained port engineers is large throughout the world, with sea going vessels taking an ever increasing part of the transport of goods. Port development is an essential factor in the economic development of all countries bordering the sea. h.ligteringen@unesco-ihe.org Last year the Coastal Engineering and Port Development team embarked on a revitalisation plan for Port Development within the core. This comprises two important elements: a promotion campaign among alumni and other contacts who are active in the port sector, and the initiation of research projects in a number of focus areas, including: Adaptive port planning, Traffic simulation in ports, Wave penetration in the ports, etc. To do this the core was strengthened with the (part-time) employment of Professor Han Ligteringen and Dr. Poonam Taneja by which also the cooperation with the Ports & Waterways group at TU Delft and port of Rotterdam was further improved. In the new academic year (2011-2012) six students will do their thesis within one of the aforementioned research lines, giving strong momentum to the further development of the port development courses. 10 © Photo AMREF
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL Capacity development has been and will continue to be one of the key activities at UNESCO-IHE, and is an intrinsic part of the Institute’s strategy for the coming decade. The Institute plans to work in international alliances to strengthen knowledge and capacity-building institutes in the global South, strengthening water sector organizations to improve their performance and contributing to the global agenda on water sector capacity development. 11
e.dejong@unesco-ihe.org, h.ligteringen@unesco-ihe.org,
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