Hamdan bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU), a leader in the field of e-Learning and quality management in the Arab World, has announced the winners of the Chancellor's Award for Innovation in Online Teaching and Learning during the Chancellor Reception 2010 held recently at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMeU, handed out the awards to the three winners, who were selected by a distinguished panel of international judges for their significant contributions in improving the quality of online teaching and learning. HBMeU organises the annual Chancellor Reception to facilitate a meeting and fruitful interaction between the university staff and the Chancellor, while also providing an opportunity for the staff to network with their colleagues.
The winners of the Chancellor's Award for Innovation in Online Teaching and Learning 2009-2010 were Dr. Kanishka Bedi of e-School of Business and Quality Management, Dr. Rana Tamim of the School of e-Education, and Dr. Samer Hamidi of e-School of Health Environmental and Environmental Studies.
HBMeU also launched during the ceremony two new categories that will be included in the next cycle of the Chancellor's Award: Excellence in Research and Community Services. The Excellence in Research award aims to recognize and encourage outstanding research contribution, and accommodates for both generic individual research contribution as well as collaborative research. The Community Services award recognizes an individual's contribution in the area of community and university services. The selection criteria for this award have been aligned with the definition of community and university services described in the faculty handbook, to ensure consistency.
The awards are open to all academic and faculty members at HBMeU, including Graduate and Undergraduate Program Directors, full-time faculty who have completed at least two regular semesters, and adjunct faculty members who have taught at least 15 credit hours at either graduate or undergraduate level during the past two academic years.
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar said: "The primary aim of the Chancellor's Award is to recognise individuals who have made significant contributions towards enhancing the quality of learning and teaching at Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University. We believe that this is an excellent way to constantly raise the bar of excellence and to inspire faculty members to showcase their expertise in developing creative and innovative ways of teaching at the university. I would like to extend my congratulations to the winners as I look forward to seeing more brilliant ideas and concepts in the future cycles of the Chancellor's Award."
The three winners of the Chancellor's Award for Innovation in Online Teaching and Learning each received a plaque and a certificate.
HBMeU is the first e-learning institute in the Arab World that was established with the vision to develop a new learning process through the implementation of teaching practices characterised by flexibility, quality and diversity to strengthen self-leadership among students and prepare them socially and academically for a future career through integration in the job market. HBMeU's philosophy is based on vital methods that have been developed through extensive research and development by specialists from all over the world. These methods include offering high quality programs, supporting the pursuit of lifelong learning, promoting the freedom of information, reinforcing the culture of excellence and innovation and providing education for everyone in line with the highest standards of comprehensiveness and credibility. The university seeks to constantly identify knowledge needs, support research and development programs and create an outstanding environment for e-learning.
