Initiatives that link the academic community among the lecturers of the University of Pécs with lecturers from other universities to jointly create new courses have become increasingly popular. EDUC's Teacher's Journey programme offers inspiring opportunities for teachers to take their projects from conception to implementation. This was discussed by Dr. Krisztián Simon, Pedagogical Engineer, lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Dr. Krisztián Kvell and Dr. Szilárd Pál from the Faculty of Pharmacy, and Bianka Szijártó, Digital Education Support Coordinator at the EDUC Office.
The EDUC Teacher's Journey is an innovative initiative that encourages teachers to move beyond traditional course development methods and start collaborating with other teachers both inside and outside the university. University lecturers are exploring new dimensions of collaboration while enhancing the quality and diversity of teaching.
Teacher's Journey is not just a guide to course development, but a complete support system to help educators make their courses world-class and interactive.
There is a growing demand for this type of support in academia, as these programmes contribute to the innovation of education and the continuous improvement of the student experience.
The collaboration between UP's Faculty of Pharmacy and the partner institution University of South-Eastern Norway is a great illustration of the potential and benefits of the EDUC Teacher's Journey programme. The Norwegian collaboration offers a unique opportunity for both lecturers and students to learn about different perspectives.
Dr. Krisztián Kvell and Dr. Szilárd Pál highlighted that in this type of collaborations, challenges and solutions outlined by lecturers and students, for example in the pharmaceutical industry, can have a big impact not only in the courses but also in real life. By working with the Norwegian partner institution, teachers and students can gain insights into the pharmaceutical industry in other countries and its specificities, thus enriching not only theoretical but also practical knowledge.
This example perfectly illustrates how the EDUC Teacher's Journey program goes beyond educational innovation to generate real social and economic impact. Through collaborative courses, instructors and students gain unique international experiences that can contribute to the advancement of the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare, both in Norway and in Hungary.
According to the instructors, the EDUC Teacher's Journey program has already shown great promise. Dr. Szilárd Pál believes that
it may be one of the most attractive and motivating learning platforms for Generation Z,
while Dr. Krisztián Simon added that instructors enjoy working together with each other and with students. He further noted that the encounter of different cultures and languages during collaboration can also be beneficial, even if the course is not explicitly built on that. The discussion also raised the possibility that artificial intelligence could play a significant role in the planning and implementation of courses.
The EDUC Teacher's Journey programme welcomes applications from educators who want to try their hand in an international, digital environment where they are supported in innovative and collaborative course development, and where they have the opportunity to explore new ways of improving the quality of teaching. There is great enthusiasm and interest from UP lecturers for the programme, and it is expected that more collaborative projects and innovative courses will be developed through EDUC Teacher's Journey in the future.
The full roundtable discussion can be viewed in Hungarian HERE.