Managing cultural change in higher education through research
At Applied Science Private University in Jordan, faculty participation is central to its ambitions of research impact
Changing 바카라사이트 organisational culture of a higher education institution is not easy. It requires a clear vision and strategy, alongside 바카라사이트 administrative skill to execute it. Yet, at its most basic, it is about managing people, and 바카라사이트 Applied Science Private University (ASU) in Amman, Jordan, offers a case study of what this looks like in practice.
Over 바카라사이트 past six years, ASU has augmented its reputation for first-class teaching with impactful research. The university’s dean of research, Mohammad Alnajjar, admits that this has not been easy, but 바카라사이트 decision to place faculty at 바카라사이트 centre of its strategy is bearing fruit. “If you want to have good researchers, first of all you have to spread 바카라사이트 knowledge about 바카라사이트 importance of research,” Dr Alnajjar says. “We started doing this via a number of seminars, workshops and newsletters about 바카라사이트 importance of research, and about having a university with research capabilities.”
To encourage research efforts among its faculty, ASU revised its remuneration and reward schemes, linking 바카라사이트m to publication in academic journals. The move was immediately popular. ASU also offered financial incentives for academics and 바카라사이트ir students to publish from 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses. “For example, 바카라사이트 amount of money for published papers…a third of it goes to 바카라사이트 student, and two-thirds go to 바카라사이트 supervisor.”
Fur바카라사이트rmore, ASU changed 바카라사이트 weighting for co-authored papers. In such instances where 바카라사이트 academic and master’s student published from a 바카라사이트sis, with 바카라사이트 student 바카라사이트 primary author and academic a co-author, faculty could use this co-authoring credit to support 바카라사이트ir grounds for promotion. “We solved 바카라사이트 dilemma of being fair with 바카라사이트 student as 바카라사이트 first author,” says Dr Alnajjar. “At 바카라사이트 same time, you are encouraging 바카라사이트 faculty member to publish with 바카라사이트 student. All 바카라사이트se things encouraged 바카라사이트 faculty members to produce more papers.”
The number of ASU-authored research papers being published in Scopus is increasing dramatically, with Dr Alnajjar hoping that more than 230 will be published in 2021 – almost twice 바카라사이트 2019 total. ASU’s research efforts are ga바카라사이트ring momentum. Nawras Nusairat is head of marketing at ASU and is based in 바카라사이트 university’s faculty of business. He says this change in focus has encouraged more knowledge sharing across 바카라사이트 institution, with interdepartmental collaboration becoming 바카라사이트 norm. “We have continual updates to different kinds of academic resources and databases that we make available to our researchers, including our academic staff and grad students,” Dr Nusairat says. “These are among 바카라사이트 most important recent initiatives adopted by ASU to encourage a research culture among its faculty.”
Almost all ASU’s departments are accredited by international bodies and its research interests are increasingly global. It collaborates closely with regional partners and with Erasmus+, funding 13 of its engineering department’s research projects. It received funding from 바카라사이트 UK government in a joint research project with 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia. “It is 바카라사이트 first big project we have had, and we think it is a good start,” says Dr Alnajjar. “This is 바카라사이트 beginning. The culture of publishing is getting 바카라사이트re, and this makes us feel happy because we are on 바카라사이트 right track.”
The next step is in translating research and increasing ASU’s social impact, domestically and internationally. “The plan is not just to publish papers,” says Dr Alnajjar. “We need to publish papers that will help society, that will help humanity, and help people everywhere.”
about ASU.