Zayed University’s, ZU, Innovative Teaching Programme recently achieved full accreditation from the UK-based Higher Education Academy, HEA, making it the first accredited programme in the UAE.

Presenting the honours; is the Innovative Teaching Programme, ITP, a professional development programme for teaching faculty delivered by Zayed University’s Centre for Educational Innovation. The accreditation signifies that the programme aligns with the HEA's professional standards framework, which is a way to benchmark excellence in professional development for teaching and learning.

Dr. Barbara Harold, Acting Director at ZU's Centre for Educational Innovation, said, "This significant accomplishment reflects Zayed University’s commitment to excellence in teaching." "I am proud to announce that the ITP pathway, which was formed by the Center for Educational Innovation, matched all the standards and requirements proposed by the HEA framework."

"The pathway comprises of two key elements, first of which, is a series of practical modules offered to the faculty to develop classroom teaching skills. The second is the process whereby faculty can gain international recognition for excellence in teaching through the Higher Education Academy Fellowship awards," Dr. Barbara added.

Christina Davison, Instructional Designer at the ZU Centre for Educational Innovation, said, "Working in a small team over a two-year span, we’ve designed the ITP to offer ZU faculty continuous improvement opportunities to support the university’s vision of becoming globally recognised as the leading university in the region for excellence in educational innovation, research, and student leadership development that serves the changing needs of the nation in economic, social and cultural advancements