Cardiff Launch of the HE Academy, 25 October 2004
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On the 25th October, staff from the Economics Network attended a formal launch of the Higher Education Academy at the National Museum and Gallery, Cardiff. This was the fourth regional launch event and was hosted by Leslie Wagner, Chairman of the HE Academy.
Jane Davidson, the Education and Lifelong Learning minister of the Welsh Assembly, welcomed the new initiative and expressed hope that the Academy would help fulfil the agendas of the individual regions and funding councils, including Welsh-Medium learning and teaching.
Paul Ramsden, the Chief Executive of the HE Academy, set out the Academy's mission to transform the student experience. His emphasis was on working with the teaching community, supporting the existing enthusiasts, rather than being a body that tells academics what to do. The Academy, he said, will avoid duplicating work already done by institutions and will have a healthy cynicism about educational jargon and bureaucracy.
He praised the high quality of teaching in UK Higher Education, but warned that we can not remain with the status quo if we are to maintain global competitiveness. Not only will the sector have to seek continual improvements, it will have to do so faster than our international competitors. Ramsden called for the Academy to make available a solid evidence base on teaching innovation, backed by the best available research.
