INTERNATIONAL Medical University (IMU) recently received global recognition at the 2022 International Association for Medical Education (AMEE) Aspire to Excellence Awards.
A fitting way to mark its 30-year anniversary, IMU’s Centre for Education was presented with the AMEE Aspire Certificate of Merit in Faculty Development and was the only Asian institution to be recognised for this category.
(From left front) teaching and learning associate dean Dr Wong Pei Se, ICE senior lecturer Dr Norul Hidayah and ICE lecturer Siti Suriani Abdul Razak (from left back) teaching and learning dean Prof Er Hui Meng, IMU vice-chancellor Prof Abdul Aziz Baba and Prof Vishna Devi Nadarajah with the AMEE Aspire Certificate of Merit where IMU gained international recognition.
“Our faculty development programme is a long-standing, extensive and well-resourced programme, comprising around 70 programmes annually.
“These programmes, which are regularly reviewed for future improvements, are the result of our team’s dedication and we are very proud of their accomplishments.
“At IMU, we value people development and we hope this recognition will further inspire our faculty to strive for excellence across the board, which will then translate to a well-supported and conducive learning environment for our students,” said IMU institutional development and international pro vice-chancellor Prof Vishna Devi Nadarajah.
IMU was given the award based on its performance in five main criteria, which are goals and design of programme, scope of programme offerings, programme resources and support, programme evaluation and scholarships.
The review also considered the university’s agile response to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, where a blended approach and comprehensive repository of online sources provided support for the faculty in fulfilling their responsibilities.
IMU was also commended on its initiative to build capacity and develop expertise in health professions education through internal collaborations.
Past winners of this award include the Maastricht University in the Netherlands and University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.
Prof Vishna added that the faculty development programmes encompass a variety of projects ranging from workshops and webinars to plenary and expert clinic sessions. It also has forums and its Health Professions Education Journal Club, which are facilitated by both IMU experts and a network of external experts supported by the institution’s Visiting Professorship programme.
“This brings world leaders in health professions education to IMU to share their expertise and apply it in the regional context.
“Our initiatives enhance various aspects of teaching and learning in the university, supporting individual development and professional fulfilment while ensuring high academic standards,” she said.
AMEE’s annual Aspire to Excellence Awards was established to recognise world-class excellence across several categories in health professions education including inspirational approaches to health professions education, student engagement, curriculum development, student assessments and faculty development.
Selection for these awards are based on independent peer reviews, where a panel of academic reviewers assess submissions, which are benchmarked to best practices in health professions education.
This is not the first time IMU has been recognised by AMEE as the institution is also credited with being the first Asian university to win the Aspire Award for Student Engagement in 2013.
For more information about AMEE and to view the full list of Award winners, visit https://amee.org or find out more about IMU at www.imu.edu.my.
