My journey to becoming an Advance HE Fellow

“Achieving this professional recognition motivates me to be a better academic, which aligns with Curtin University Malaysia’s mission to deliver quality education to transform lives through teaching excellence.” 

Motivation to apply for Fellowship 

I got to know about Advance HE from my colleagues and the office of Learning and Teaching at Curtin Malaysia. Being recognised for my teaching is vital for me as an early career academic. Therefore, I was determined and motivated to apply for Advance HE Fellowship.  

It was an excellent opportunity for me to enhance my teaching and learning capability. In addition, the encouragement from my colleagues who are already Advance HE Fellows and the support from the University were important for me to embark on this journey. 

Kick starting my application 

The first thing I did was to get myself familiar with the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), which underpins the fellowship awards. I reflect on my existing teaching practices and how I can improve further in planning teaching activities, supporting students’ learning, giving effective feedback for learning and enhancing my own professional development.  

This reflection helps me to know the strengths and weaknesses of my teaching approaches. I also allowed myself ample time to collect evidence and draft my application. Once the draft was ready, my mentor reviewed it and I revised my draft according to the constructive feedback given.  

My ways forward 

After attaining the status of Advance HE Fellow, I am inspired to continue my professional development in teaching and learning to ensure good practice for excellent students’ learning experience. For example, I am engaged in scholarship and innovation through securing teaching grants as either principal or co-investigator.  

Achieving this professional recognition also encouraged me to become an Advance HE assessor for Fellow applications since 2022. Moreover, I have been motivated to take up the role as a mentor for my early career colleague for her Advance HE application.  

My advice for a Fellowship application 

First, you must get yourself a mentor. Because everyone would be busy during the teaching weeks, it is wise to manage one’s time well and try to get your application draft completed earlier. This will allow your mentor to have sufficient time to go through your application and give feedback. Besides writing only about your teaching approaches and what have you done for the students, it is essential to include the in-depth reflective component about how effective your approaches were, into your application. Last but not least, remember not to leave it to the last minute! 

If you are still considering whether or not to pursue your Advance HE Fellowship, it is worth it. It’s never too late to embark your fellowship journey.

Dr Angnes Tiong Ngieng Tze is a senior lecturer in Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Curtin University Malaysia. She has joined Curtin Malaysia in Year 2018 after completing her PhD study. She has achieved the status of Fellow in Year 2021.