ISLAMABAD:20 July:The Professional Competency Enhancement Programme for Teachers (PCEPT) concluded at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) on Thursday. A total of 21 young faculty members of the QAU and surrounding public-sector universities participated and successfully completed the capacity-building programme.

The objective of the programme was to introduce innovation-teaching strategies that blend academic concept with the classroom application. The PCEPT is an in-service professional orientation programme developed and sponsored by the HEC’s Learning Innovation Division, with the target of training faculty members of higher educational institutions across Pakistan. QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Masoom Yasinzai told the certificate-awarding ceremony that the efforts of the Learning Innovation Division for providing young faculty members a wonderful opportunity of training “will certainly strengthen the communication skills of the university teachers so that they can profoundly achieve the objectives of their teaching”.

He added, “Sending trained teachers to the classrooms, knowing how to teach and transfer knowledge to the students, is a prime responsibility of the educational institutions.” Dr Yasinzai said that the QAU provides a number of opportunities of training and capacity building to its faculty members while the university is considering the idea of establishing an endowment fund dedicated to the training of the teachers. Course Coordinator Prof Dr Bushra Mirza briefed the audience about the details of the course. She said that the progamme would not only increase the awareness and importance of research, but would also help the participants to develop academic planning and management skills of the higher education. HEC DG (Services) Farmanullah Anjum appreciated the efforts of the course coordinators and congratulated the participants for their successful completion. He also urged the universities to come forward, invest and participate in the teacher’s training programmes.Daily Times.