Instructional Innovation and Curriculum Development
One of the goals of the USAID-funded Center of Excellence for Energy is to develop innovative teaching methods and curricula to improve the relevance and quality of Egypt’s higher education in energy. In conjunction with Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Arizona State University and Egyptian partner universities, energy industry and governmental leaders, the center will identify gaps in higher education curricula and offer and training to improve effective teaching methods and modern curricula.
In FY 2022, the center formed the Curriculum Development Committee to help inform the development. This committee and its working groups have conducted an evaluation of current curricula and pedagogy and offered suggestions for improvement.
The assessment of current energy curriculum and teaching methods has been complete, and a report is in production. This year, the center aims to:
- Identify new curricula and pedagogy to fulfill future energy sector needs in Egypt
- Develop new energy degree programs and curricula
- Conduct faculty training on improved teaching methods and implementation support
- Host energy workshops and training programs including certification courses, which will be offered at the center’s Technology Center
In conjunction with the curriculum development committee, the center has already identified possible gaps in existing programs and needs such as: lack of sufficient laboratory equipment to allow hands-on experience for all students, need for more courses in climate and sustainability, energy policy, and the social science aspects of energy, and a need for more advanced and/or relevant laboratory experiments and projects. Development of new laboratory spaces and curricula is currently underway.
The center aims to add ten new courses that feature a modern, relevant, Egyptian-centric curriculum that meets international standards. Potential topics have been proposed including energy policy and leadership, human and social dimensions of energy systems, community-based energy innovation, and energy transition planning.
