Professor Stephanie Marshall to chair prestigious Norwegian Centre for Excellence Initiative judging panel

The Norwegian ‘Centres for Excellence in Education’ (SFU) is a prestigious national initiative to stimulate excellence in higher education. The initiative was established in 2010 and has since its inception awarded SFU status to eight Centres of Excellence in Education. SFU is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Higher Education and Research and administered by Diku, the Norwegian agency for international cooperation and quality enhancement in higher education.

The ambition of the initiative is to contribute to the development of excellent quality in higher education. SFU status is awarded to academic communities that have already demonstrated excellent quality and innovative practices in education and that have plans in place for further development and innovation. The initiative also seeks to contribute to developing new forms of student involvement and partnership.

Previously Chief Executive Officer of the Higher Education Academy from 2013 to 2018, Professor Marshall is expertly placed to chair the judging panel for academic excellence. Professor Marshall comments:

“I am delighted to lead once more the Norwegian Centre for Excellence Initiative judging panel. I look forward to seeing the efforts of colleagues who share my ambition to stimulate excellence in teaching, quality assurance, pedagogical innovation and student engagement.”

In 2019, there will be a call for proposals for up to six new Centres of Excellence in Education, and Professor Stephanie Marshall will chair the expert panel that assesses the bids for new centres. The expert panel consists of six experts in higher education and quality development, including a student representative. The panel will review all the applications and conduct site visits to a select group of finalists. The process is expected to conclude by the end of 2019.