14:20-15:15

‘Excellence’ is an elusive concept, assumed to be the pinnacle of aspiration, sometimes considered a siren distraction or an unattainable dream, and most often means different things to different people. The UK has spent over twenty years attempting to identify, standardise and celebrate what works best in higher education teaching, mostly through teacher recognition frameworks, awards and pedagogic staff development. Over time – and it has taken time - the agenda has gained traction with enthusiasts and sceptics. By drawing on examples from a range of enhancement initiatives this presentation will encourage participants to reflect on their personal experiences of striving for excellence in their teaching practice and to think about how this connects with institution and student expectations.

Alison Robinson Canham is a freelance educator and consultant specialising in individual, team and organisational development. Alison has previously held positions at the Open University, the University of Hull, the Royal Veterinary College, and the Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE). She has a particular interest in the professionalisation of university teaching; parity of esteem between teaching and research practices; and the interconnection between government policy, higher education and entry to professional occupations.. Alison works across academic, professional and clinical disciplines, and has worked on projects in the UK, Europe, Australasia and South Africa. Her work is underpinned by deep ideological commitments to the transformative power of education, and equality of access to education and active citizenship.

15:20-16:10

Halász Gábor a Magyar Tudományos Akadémia doktora. A Budapesti Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Pedagógiai és Pszichológiai Karának neveléstudományi professzora, ahol a Felsőoktatás – és Innovációkutató Csoport munkáját és a Neveléstudományi Doktori Iskola egyik programját vezeti (főként nemzetközi doktoranduszok számára). Tanít többek között oktatáspolitikát, felsőoktatás-szociológiát, oktatást és európai integrációt, valamint az oktatás globális trendjeit. Korábban a Magyar Oktatáskutató és Fejlesztő Intézet főigazgatója volt, ahol később tudományos tanácsadói pozíciót töltött be. Halász professzor számos nemzetközi szervezetnek, különösen az OECD-nek, az Európai Bizottságnak, a Világbanknak és az Európa Tanácsnak dolgozott szakértői tanácsadóként. 1996 és 2021 között ő képviselte Magyarországot a CERI (OECD) igazgatótanácsában, kétszer volt a testület elnöke is.

10:00-11:00

Alenoush Saroyan is Professor Emerita of Educational Psychology, the Director of the McGill International Institute of Education, and the previous Chair of the Department Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University in Montréal, Canada.  Her areas of specialization and research are the pedagogical development of academics, academic leadership, quality assurance, and the reform of postsecondary systems. She has served as a consultant to various international organizations including The World Bank, UNESCO and the OECD, contributing to higher education reform projects, projects related to improving and assessing teaching quality, and the development and implementation of quality assurance frameworks, processes, and practices. Her publications include articles, edited books and book chapters on educational development and assessing quality at the university level.