ISLAMABAD: The National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) is all set to launch fourth cohort of the National Faculty Development Programme (NFDP) 2020.
Designed for candidates of the HEC's Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) Programme (Phase-II), this online activity is led by international and national academics/scholars and is scheduled to begin on September 14, 2020 with pre-programme activities already underway.
As many as 172 recently graduated PhD scholars comprise the fourth cohort.
A four-week, intensive and immersive learning experience for participants who have recently completed their PhDs from across Pakistan and internationally, the purpose of the NFDP 2020 is to accelerate the transfer of essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes in three dimensions, including teaching and learning, research management, and professional practice.
The NFDP serves as an intensive coaching and mentoring of the IPFP candidates, who are short-listed after competitive selection, in order for them to be placed as assistant professors on a tenure track system in universities across Pakistan for one year.
The NAHE has already held three NFDP sessions, starting in April 2020.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak across the world and related closures, the programme was redesigned to run online.
The first cohort successfully concluded in May and comprised 41 fellows, out of which 24 were female participants.
As the first formal, fully-online faculty development programme of the NAHE/HEC held nationally, participants represented all provinces/regions of Pakistan, and a wide variety of disciplines.
The programme is led by academics and scholars from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan.
The second cohort ran in June/July 2020 and consisted of 153 participants, of which 65 were female participants.
The third cohort took place in July/August and had 145 candidates, out of which 39 were women. The fourth cohort has 172 candidates.
Upon its conclusion in October 2020, a total of 512 recent PhDs - including 173 women and several from underserved areas of the country - will have successfully participated in the faculty development programme by the NAHE, and will be ready to launch their academic careers in various higher educational institutes of Pakistan.
"I feel proud that we were able to share world-class knowledge with future faculty members of the country. Using online technology, we were able to connect academics from the GB and Balochistan to USA, Canada and the UK. Our IPFP Fellows represent diverse backgrounds and disciplines and this programme helps to level the playing field as they initiate their academic journeys. In addition to this programme, NAHE is undertaking a number of exciting initiatives aimed at capacity building, including online readiness programs for higher education institutions in Pakistan," said NAHE Rector Prof Dr Shaheen Sardar.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020