Five of the region’s leading educational institutions, including INTI International University and Colleges (INTI) and University of Wollongong (UOW), have been awarded a grant of AUD 220,000 (RM 703,214) to research on transnational co-teaching.
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 Prof. Wellings, Loh, Dr Sumitha, Prof. Chicharo, Fauziah and Lim. |
Awarded by the Office of Learning and Teaching, which is part of the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, the grant enables project team members INTI; UOW; the University of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT); RMIT International University, Vietnam (RMIT Vietnam); and the University of South Australia (UniSA) to develop, implement and evaluate a professional development programme to enhance quality teaching and learning in transnational teaching teams.
“Education has always been a central part of the Australia-Malaysia bilateral relationship,” said UOW’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Wellings, CBE. “I am pleased that academics from Australia and Malaysia are co-leading the transnational co-teaching project which will no doubt further add to our strong bilateral relationship, and to mutual development.”
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Prof. Wellings (right) awarding the founders of AwesomePenang.com. |
Helming the project are INTI’s Dr Sumitha Ganesharatnam and UOW’s Dr Lynne Keevers. Team members are INTI’s Fauziah KP Dawood Sultan, Vincent Loh and Jane Lim See Yin; UOW’s Professor Barry Harper and Associate Professor Geraldine Lefoe; UniSA’s Associate Professor Betty Leask; RMIT’s Professor Val Clulow and Dr Cathy Hall; and RMIT Vietnam’s Peter Bainbridge.
Professor Joe Chicharo, Deputy Vice Chancellor International of the University of Wollongong, explained that some of the learning and teaching professional development needs of transnational teaching teams that will be addressed by the project include areas such as internationalisation of the curriculum, assessment practices and moderation, quality standards and assurance, intercultural competency and communication, peer review of teaching practices, developing academic literacy and inclusive teaching practices.
“This is the second research grant received by the INTI and UOW team to research transnational co-teaching. The first grant was awarded by the University of Wollongong International Committee to collaboratively develop a learning and teaching professional development framework and guide for co-teachers located at INTI delivering UOW transnational education programmes. It is an important component of our strategic partnership for UOW to work with INTI again on this latest effort,” he said.
As a leading tertiary education provider in Malaysia INTI has strongly promoted Australian degrees as qualifications of choice. Today, INTI enjoys excellent collaborative ties with leading Australian institutions including UOW and Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School, which have established a strong presence on INTI grounds.
Professor Wellings, who was visiting INTI for the first time since his appointment as UOW’s Vice Chancellor in January 2012, awarded INTI’s UOW programme students Theng Jie-Wey, Lim Ming Yi and Gooi Shuh Mien with a paid trip to the New York Stock Exchange along with fellow student Ang Kevin, who is representing Malaysia at the finals of the 2012 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA). The four co-founded AwesomePenang.com, a sharing platform that recommends the most ‘awesome’ food, places and events in Penang, while attending college.
Students of INTI benefit not only from its over 25 years of experience and strong track-record, but also gain from the global synergy and resources that Laureate International Universities provides. INTI is part of Laureate, the world’s largest private education network with a presence in 29 countries, with more than 60 accredited universities and 130 campuses, serving more than 740,000 students globally.
For more information on INTI’s programmes, call 03-5623 2800 / 04-6310138.