Applied Science University marks more than 150 Advance HE fellows

Applied Science University (ASU), Kingdom of Bahrain, has reached the milestone of 150 Advance HE Fellows.  

ASU has been working with Advance HE since 2014, developing its capacity to support continuous professional development in learning and teaching. This has led to the establishment of ASU-rise, the University’s scheme and support center to guide and assist all staff in seeking Fellowship.  

ASU is an Advance HE ‘International Strategic Member’. The University has three Advance HE accredited programmes schemes which allow it to award Associate Fellowship, Fellowship, and Senior Fellowship; all of which are aligned to the Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) for teaching and supporting learning in higher education. The University also has a Principal Fellow whose application was made direct to Advance HE.  

Commitment to staff development

In a ceremony to mark the milestone, under the patronage of Professor Waheeb Al-khaja, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Professor Ghassan Aouad, President of ASU, congratulated the Principal Fellow, thirty-three Senior Fellows, ninety-one Fellows, and twenty-nine Associate Fellows.

He said, “I am delighted and proud of this impressive achievement which is a testament to the hard work and commitment of ASU’s academic and administrative staff.” The President reiterated the University’s commitment to “raise the bar in all that we do, and staff development is no exception.”    

Opportunities for staff                                     

Dr. Faiza Zitouni, Assistant Vice President for Development Affairs at ASU, and a Principal Fellow, said that she was, “thrilled with this great achievement and the culture and willingness of staff at ASU to engage in activities and opportunities offered by the Academic Staff Development Unit.” She went on to highlight the role and importance of the ASU-rise scheme and center in the continuous professional development of staff. 

Working with Advance HE

Dr Zitouni concluded: “The work with Advance HE is demanding but ultimately very rewarding. The ASU-rise scheme, which is aligned with the PSF, has supported many of ASU’s activities, not least our QS overall rating of ‘5 Stars’ which includes the Academic Development Criterion that also scored ‘5 Stars’. These are fantastic achievements!” 

Kristian Rumble, Advance HE International Partnership manager, who attended the ceremony, said, “It’s been a delight to work with ASU. The commitment to teaching excellence is evidenced through these Fellowships. I congratulate the University for its additional success in an overall rating of ‘5 Stars’ – it’s very well deserved.”