Published on 07 May 2020
The University of Sunderland has hosted its first ever Global Education Forum in which senior academics joined together to support our students across the world.
The live interactive forum offered students at our campuses in Sunderland, London, Hong Kong and Transnational Education Centres (TNE) overseas, the opportunity to talk with academic staff who could offer guidance and advice on how to make the best of the current circumstances during the coronavirus pandemic, perform well on their degree programmes, as well as provide study tips.
Professor Donna Chambers, Professor Catherine Hayes, Professor Amal Elkordy and Associate Professor John Unsworth, alongside Forum Chair - Associate Professor Derek Watson, fielded questions for one hour about writing assignments, study skills and home working.
The technical support provided by the University’s Centre for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), alongside Marketing teams and Sunderland’s International Office, worked together to provide a unique home-based learning forum, which will now operate each month sourcing different experts from the University’s three campuses.
Prof Watson said: “'The Global Education Forum did not just illustrate how we can utilise our technology to inform our student learning, but it also demonstrates how we can effectively draw on expertise across the University.
“The combination of senior academics, CELT technical services and the professionalism of our International Office and marketing team provides another example of our engaged University culture. The feedback was very positive and we are looking forward to delivering the forum each month and beyond the challenges of Covid-19.”
There’s more important work taking places to support our overseas partners and students, during these unprecedented times. Prof Watson is to deliver a webinar to Malaysian business leaders to advise them on how to revise their business models in response to Covid-19.
The event has been organised by our TNE partner college SEGi, in Kuala Lumpar, and so far has more than 2,000 registrations. Students have also been invited, and all attendees will receive a certificate of attendance on behalf of SEGi University, SEGi Colleges and our University, signed by the Dean of Sunderland’s Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism, Professor Lawrence Bellamy.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor John MacIntyre said: “The University of Sunderland is a global institution, with students from more than 90 countries studying at our campuses in Sunderland, London and Hong Kong, and with thousands of students studying through our international partnerships in 17 countries.
“We are deeply committed to the positive impact that education makes to our students, changing their lives, and also to global society.
“The Global Education Forum is an excellent example of that commitment, under the outstanding leadership of Professor Derek Watson, and with contributions from a range of colleagues across the University. I believe the Forum is great way for sharing ideas and developments with students and partners around the world, including how our University and the global higher education sector is responding to the challenges of COVID-19.”