McMaster wins Global Teaching Excellence Award

International award recognizes Mac's commitment to high-impact teaching practices and experiential education.

By Sara Laux July 19, 2018

Picture of woman doing math equations
Photo by JD Howell

McMaster has won the prestigious Global Teaching Excellence Award based on the strength of its experiential learning opportunities, a commitment to global engagement and the work of the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching.

Organized by the Higher Education Academy in partnership with Times Higher Education, the award recognizes universities with strong, institution-wide approaches to supporting and promoting teaching excellence.

McMaster was one of 17 finalists from universities across the globe, a shortlist that also included schools from the UK, Australia, Switzerland, Spain and South Africa.

“McMaster has a long history of excellence and innovation in teaching and learning,” said President Patrick Deane. “From our gifted and creative educators to the intensive work done by the MacPherson Institute, this award shines an international spotlight on the ongoing efforts of the McMaster community to provide the best possible learning experience for our students.”

Along with pioneering problem-based learning, McMaster was also one of the first universities in Canada to create a centre specifically dedicated to the practice of teaching and learning on campus.

That centre – now known as the MacPherson Institute – led McMaster’s submission for the award under the leadership of director and Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning, Arshad Ahmad.

Deane and Ahmad accepted the Global Teaching Excellence Award on behalf of McMaster at the ceremony held in Edinburgh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=xuKxBWG7nYk

A person in a protective gear welds something while standing inside a massive metal pipe.

Is the world willing to support America’s nuclear ambitions? Q& A with expert Goran Calic  

The U.S. will have to rely on international allies and partners to overcome a manufacturing bottleneck and meet its ambitious nuclear power goals, the DeGroote professor explains.
The red surface of a surface tanker set against the ocean on a sunny day.

What’s at stake as Houthi rebels threaten new chokehold in the global flow of oil

Supply chain expert Behrouz Bakhtiari explains the global implications of a potential blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping route in the Red Sea.
Women wearing hijabs are photographed from behind, walking along a busy sidewalk away from the camera.

Analysis: Québec’s Bill 9 doesn’t just ban symbols — it bans obligations

Bill 9 is a fundamental shift in what secularism is being asked to do, Marwan El Gaddafi writes.