The Asian Institute of Technology’s relationship with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE Afghanistan) has spanned over five years with both organizations striving to increase quality in the country’s higher education system by strengthening the faculty member and staff capabilities.
In relation to the current project administered through MoHE’s “Strengthening Higher Education Program” (SHEP), the Ministry requested assistance from AIT Extension in coordination with AIT Consulting (AITC) to organize two professional development programs on Basic Research Methodology and Quality Assurance (QA) for faculty members and staff from Afghanistan. AIT Extension, AIT’s training and outreach center, was considered an appropriate option due to its extensive experience working with developing nations through capacity building, training and professional development.
The first professional development program on Basic Research Methodology was held on 7 – 26 February 2013 at the Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok. A total of sixteen faculty members and research staff from ten universities in Afghanistan attended the training.
This training program aimed to enhance the participants’ capability on basic research methodology, operationalize of applied research and skills building approach, and enhance their knowledge and skills in developing and conducting research in their specific areas. Key learning areas in this training included: key issues and concepts of research process, scientific research designs, operationalization of applied research, skills building approach, statistical techniques used in research, and writing research proposals, papers, and academic articles.
The second professional development program on Quality Assurance is scheduled in May 2013. The delivery of this training seeks to upgrade knowledge and enhance skills of the participants in designing and developing QA systems and implementing QA activities for improvement of education and training processes.
