Harvard comes to Wales as university turns to American heavyweights for inspiration

"A university in south-west Wales is looking to American powerhouses MIT and Harvard for inspiration in a bid to improve its teacher training offer." continues WalesOnline.  

Photo: Carmarthen Campus and Harvard University

The University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, based in Carmarthen, has outlined a new “educational pledge” that includes the development of a “professional learning school” for trainee teachers.

It plans to establish an international leadership programme for “outstanding teacher practitioners and system leaders” and will provide new professional qualifications based on “clinical practice”.

But it is Trinity Saint David’s intention to create an “international network of professors of practice” that catches the eye, with one of the world’s most prestigious universities – Harvard University in Massachusetts – being lined up as a possible partner.

Harvard was last month ranked number one in the world – just ahead of Oxford and Cambridge – by the Times Higher Education (THE) magazine.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology – commonly known as MIT – came fourth in a table dominated by American universities.

Professor Medwin Hughes, vice-chancellor of Trinity Saint David, said: “Our aim is to work with our professional partners to create confident, reflective learning communities.

“We intend to create a guiding coalition of professionals who can lead systematic change and support a self-improving educational system.

“In addition to this we intend to adapt our expertise in the area of work-based professional learning and competency-based accreditation, developing innovative accredited professional programmes which will be delivered within a school setting.
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Source: WalesOnline