RAWALPINDI: The second international conference on strengthening teaching and research capacity started at the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) on Friday.

The conference is funded by United States government under its US-Pakistan University Partnerships Grants Programme administered by United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan.

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Dr Saima Hamid, Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Women University and the conference patron, acknowledged the role of the United States government for maintaining bilateral relationships in education and research at higher education level.

She said that the collaborative stance ofUnited States Education Foundation in Pakistan was highly beneficial and played a pivotal role in enhancing the research capacity building of universities in Pakistan.

Sharam Niazi, Programme Officer University Partnerships Grants Programme, elaborated on contribution of the programme in training university faculty across Pakistan.

Dr Aneela Maqsood, conference chief organiser, briefed the audience about the thematic focus of the conference, including teaching and research pedagogy, cross-border collaborative research, action research models, quantitative and qualitative applied research in social sciences, teaching and assessment methodologies, classroom management strategies, integrating technology in classrooms, social connectedness through media and mental health in academic institutions.

The conference themes will not only capture attendees’ attention and keep them engaged and energised but will also meet expectations to learnsomething new, different.

Prof Mike Hirsch, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Huston-Tillotson University, USA, delivered his key note address on engaging undergraduate students in research as part of the innovative teaching pedagogy.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2022