Founded in 1983 as Pakistan’s first private university and fully chartered in Kenya in 2021, The Aga Khan University (AKU) is a private, autonomous, and self-governing international university, with 13 teaching sites in 6 countries over three continents. An integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network, AKU provides higher education in multiple health science and social science disciplines, and carries out research pertinent primarily to low- and middle-income countries. The University is both a model of academic excellence and an agent of social change.

The AKU-wide Network of Quality, Teaching and Learning was set up by the Provost in 2013 with the aim of supporting excellence in our academic programmes to ensure a strong student learning experience that enables AKU graduates to meet their programme learning outcomes. QTL net aims to offer a safe and inclusive space, where faculty can take advantage of a range of services, resources, and programmes on teaching excellence and scholarship of teaching and learning.

Job Purpose/Summary 

Reporting to the Provost the candidate will oversight the University’s academic quality framework and teaching and learning strategy to strengthen teaching and programme excellence, curriculum development, and student learning experiences across all faculties. 

The Vice-Provost will lead institutional initiatives and academic development to advance pedagogy in the classroom for students and faculty, support faculty educational development, and foster a culture of action-oriented innovation and continuous improvement in dynamic times. Working collaboratively with academic leaders, instructors, and support staff, the successful candidate will enhance the student learning experience through the implementation of high-impact educational practices, reward and recognition of teaching, drive initiatives that enhance the scholarship of teaching and learning and through quality enhancement efforts transform AKU as the university of choice for the next generation of learners in East Africa and Pakistan with a particular emphasis on leveraging digital technologies including the ethical integration of AI in Education. 

• Develop an institutional culture around teaching and learning and oversee the implementation of best practice standards in academic quality, teaching and learning.

• Lead and direct the provision of QTL support services on Quality of academic and CE/CPD programmes globally, Education development for faculty globally on pedagogy, supervision, curriculum, course design, teaching effectiveness, teaching dossier development, Orientation of new faculty to teaching, inculcating AKU principles and AKU graduate attributes, Teaching technology across the spectrum at AKU and Identifying support for signature pedagogies such as case-based learning.

• Establish and provide strategic sustainable direction to the AKU Teachers’ Academy.

• Enhance synergies and resource efficiencies with others proving TL support such as DED and CIME.

• Partner with others (Commission for University Education CUE, National Council for Higher Education Uganda NCHE, Tanzania Commission for Universities TCU and Higher Education Commission Pakistan, HCE) to develop academic leadership capacities for faculty leaders.

• Professionalize teaching in HE and support for learning through cyclical accreditation by Advance HE (UK) to provide Fellowships as a qualification and incentive.

• Institutionalize evidence-based Teaching Dossiers as a part of promotion and the development of transparent evidence-based Teaching Awards

• Disseminate good practices in HE quality and education development in the regions we serve, to influence regulatory policies

• Take overall responsibility of budgeting, recruitment, retention, mentoring and professional development of employees in the QTL Networks.

• Fundraise for HTD Teachers Academy.