A Co-operative Partnership in the Education of University Teachers

In this paper we address experiences in an international collaboration in the design and development of an educational programme in teaching and learning in higher education. The programme is designed for university staff teaching in a range of disciplines areas. It is intended to provide an introduction to university teaching to academic staff that lack qualifications or experience in teaching. It is also designed to enhance the teaching of reflective practitioners who have prior experience. The paper focuses on the experiences of working collaboratively in this venture across national boundaries. Universities, like other enterprises, operate in an increasingly competitive global environment. This does not mean that they necessarily operate as isolated entities in all of their activities. There are strategic advantages in operating collaboratively. As for a business enterprise, operating collaboratively can broaden the resources available for conducting an activity, generate economies of scale, and widen markets. In this case, collaboration in design of the programme also gives those academics who undertake it a claim to recognition of their qualification beyond national boundaries. In the paper we outline the original rationale for working collaboratively, identify issues that arose in the process, and evaluate the current arrangement.