KTH:s collegial fora: Recognizing and rewarding teaching at KTH

KTH has long recognized that teaching qualifications and pedagogical merits are of highest importance for the success of our education. The Swedish Higher Education Ordinance defines that the assessment of pedagogical skills should be given the same weight as the assessment of scientific or artistic skills. This principle should therefore be reflected in our employment regulations for teachers (Anställningsordningen), where pedagogical qualifications are carefully defined.

However, regulations alone are not enough. We need to foster a culture in which teaching is both recognized and rewarded. To better understand how we are progressing in this area, KTH has participated in a survey that tracks how university teaching is valued in academic careers. The survey is led by Dr. Ruth Graham, who will present the results from the survey and engage in a dialogue on how KTH can further improve in acknowledging teaching proficiency and further develop our education.

Dr. Ruth Graham has worked as an independent consultant since 2008. Her work is focused on fostering change in higher education and improving teaching and learning worldwide. Ruth has collaborated with institutions such as MIT and UCL and has at the Imperial College led the EnVision project to transform undergraduate education across the Faculty of Engineering. This experience laid the foundation for her subsequent international work to reform university teaching and learning. Recent projects, among several, have included a global initiative to improve the reward and recognition of teaching in higher education that is now supporting reform to academic career pathways at over 50 universities worldwide (www.advancingteaching.com) and a cross-institutional and multi-year survey to capture and track how university teaching is rewarded in academic careers, in which 28 universities from 13 countries have participated to date (www.teachingcultures.com).

You will find the Zoom link for the meeting in the calendar invitation in Outlook.