Staffs Uni’s new Pro Vice-Chancellor has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship for his ground-breaking work on degree apprenticeships.
Professor Raheel Nawaz is one of 54 new National Teaching Fellows
We are delighted that Professor Nawaz has been recognised for his work in an area which is so critical to the strategic development of our University.
Professor Raheel Nawaz has recently joined Staffordshire University from Manchester Metropolitan University where he headed up their Digital Degree Apprenticeships portfolio and founded the Apprenticeships Research Unit.
He is one of 54 new National Teaching fellows announced by Advance HE which celebrates and recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education.
Professor Nawaz has advised on the establishment and launch of Degree Apprenticeships in Spain, New Zealand, Canada and Pakistan, has addressed the Westminster Education Policy Forum twice and has recently been commissioned by the QAA to systematically analyse the Degree Apprenticeships pedagogies across English universities and advise the sector on best academic practices.
Professor Nawaz said: “Innovation in teaching and learning is hugely important and I’m honoured to be recognised for my work in this specialised area. Degree Apprenticeships were launched in 2015 and are now getting a lot of recognition. Although more than 85 higher education institutions are now delivering programmes to over 82,000 students in the UK, the majority of these programmes have developed organically without systematic analysis of relevant pedagogies and their impact.
“Like Manchester Metropolitan University, Staffordshire is a leading provider of higher and degree apprenticeships and my research to analyse the pedagogical challenges of developing and delivering such programme and what has and hasn’t worked will continue here in partnership with several collaborating institutions.”
Commenting on the National Teaching Fellowship, Staffordshire University Vice-Chancellor Professor Martin Jones said: “We are delighted that Professor Nawaz has been recognised for his work in an area which is so critical to the strategic development of our University.
“His role as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Digital Transformation alongside his status as a National Teaching Fellow is pivotal as we work towards our goal of cementing our reputation as the consistently best modern university in the UK, with strong academic, research and enterprise credentials.”
Alison Johns, Chief Executive, Advance HE said, “At Advance HE, we run the prestigious NTF and CATE awards for the UK higher education sector with enormous pride. The challenges of offering an outstanding teaching experience in recent years have been very demanding, but the sector has risen to the challenge.”
The 2022 awards ceremony will take place on 29 September in Liverpool.