MDP workshop organised for academicians jointly by Chitkara University & Cardiff University UK

Chandigarh, January 30, 2015: The “Leading Schools with professional development and mentoring at the core” MDP workshop was held today at Chitkara International School Chandigarh. The Programme was jointly designed and developed by Cardiff University & Chitkara University for eminent educational leaders & senior school educators to optimise effective mentoring skills and professional development opportunities for the holistic development of students by nurturing schools as sustainable institutions of learning in a technology driven knowledge age. It aimed to give participants an extensive insight and tools to build a learning community by enhancing their personal effectiveness yet professional attributes. Main Objective of the strategic initiative undertaken by Chitkara Education Trust was predominately to provide a unique platform for policy makers, educationists, school principals, counselors, teachers to enhance their skills and knowledge in mentoring and high quality professional development to improve educational practice and learner outcomes.

The event was extensively attended by Education Professionals & Leaders, Principals, Senior Teachers & School Administrative Officers from leading schools in the North India region and mainly from Chandigarh and Tri-City Region. Nearly 200 eminent Principals & Senior faculty from 50 schools engaged their experiences with each other. 

This MDP workshop series drew from in-depth and extensive research conducted by Cardiff University & Chitkara University faculty mainly on schools in the Indian context. It utilized a mix of participative pedagogy that included context specific case studies from schools across the region, with structured exercises, anecdotes & adages, illustrations & demonstrations, mock role plays, group discussions and very entertaining, exciting yet enlightening presentations. On this occasion, Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Vice Chancellor of Chitkara University said that “Our MDP series provides abundant opportunity for participants to explore, engage, exchange & examine to enrich & evolve from their current usual practices, share their experiences, and learn from each other through collaborated & blended Learning.” She further added that “there is crucial & critical need to connect, collaborate, contribute to create and celebrate the best practices from both local & global perspectives not just alone for one individual but also for entire institution’s core excellence. “

This event was core-coordinated by lead mentor team from Cardiff University comprising of Emmajane Milton, Senior Lecturer & lead mentor besides associate lecturers Melanie Squire and Kirsty McQueen. Such splendid cohorts and initiatives on Professional Development does forge greater receptivity in students, reduce achievement gaps and improves overall potential of the learners, educators and the entire education system. This event had certainly raised the bar in achieving excellence through innovations in true sense of proactive yet pragmatic pedagogy and changing mindsets from conventional to modern yet best learning practices with due diligence.