The aim of the Certificate in Higher Education Teaching programme is to set the gold standard in Bangladesh (and elsewhere) for teacher training through innovative, exciting and ethical pedagogy, which has at its heart the principle that learning should be the focus of exploration, not delivery of information. To this end, it emphasises the roles of teachers as facilitators, responding to a variety of different learning styles and needs within their classrooms, and as professionals who foster collaboration and inquiry.

Our initial emphasis is on assisting faculty with planning and writing SMART learning outcomes for their courses and lessons. We are also stressing the importance of lesson plans which contain a variety of different activities, including ones relying on classroom technology, and forms of interaction within any class. Later, we will include other elements of good teaching practice like different forms of assessment and material development.

Over time, we would hope that successful completion of the Certificate in Higher Education Teaching will feed into teacher evaluations (alongside many other factors) and earn those faculty points towards career progression. Although BRACU’s first and foremost priority is the development of its own faculty, there is a clear path towards wider dissemination of this qualification among the general public. With adaptation, for instance, it could be used to widen the horizons and skill sets of school teachers as well as staff from other universities.