The Zairi International Awards for Excellence in Higher Education: Award of Excellence for Digital Transformation
The International University of the Health Sciences (IUHS) won the Zairi International Award for Excellence in Higher Education at a recent ceremony in Dubai, attended by hundreds of international educators.
In its second year, the Zairi Award for Digital Transformation was given to the St. Kitts and Nevis-based medical and health sciences university, in recognition of its use of technology to bring medical education to students around the world.
“This award recognizes decades of work. Through technology, IUHS strives to educate doctors ‘within’ their own borders so they can better serve the communities they will eventually care for,” says Dr. Juliana Furay, IUHS vice president of strategic initiatives and chairman of the university’s Board of Directors, upon whose work this award was based. “Under the guidance of the St. Kitts Ministry of Education, with the academic leadership of Dr. Andrew Merry and strategic leadership of administration and the many dedicated staff members, IUHS has partnered with premier educational platforms to improve virtual and electronic technologies, making it possible to more effectively educate students in a distributed learning environment.”
The digital transformation achieved by IUHS is built on Dr. Furay and her team’s translation of the traditional medical school learning environment to a hybrid system. IUHS was recognized for its novel use of the DxR Clinician platform as well as its development of customized electronic tutoring through its Diagnostic and Retention (DAR) assessments. Along with interactive faculty-led teaching and group discussion, this novel approach to medical education with minimal “bricks and mortar” has seen IUHS graduating nearly 500 physicians in countries around the globe.
“We could not have done this work without the collaboration and support of our educational partners, staff, faculty, and students,” says Dr. Merry, Dean of IUHS School of Medicine. “The ultimate objective is to graduate well-trained physicians, who will serve their communities with competence and compassion, no matter where they live.”
The digital transformation award recognizes a higher education institution that has successfully implemented digital transformation initiatives to solve challenges, operate more efficiently and/or offer a more comprehensive student-centric learning experience by leveraging technology. The award aims to reward institutions that keep inspiring others to push the boundaries of higher education technology and innovation.
“The Zairi International Awards for Excellence in Higher Education are an annual international recognition honoring higher education institutions that are addressing global educational challenges and are creating impact in their own context through embracing excellence and innovation,” says Dr. Narimane Hadj-Hamou, founder and CEO, Center for Learning Innovations and Customized Knowledge Solutions (CLICKS) in the United Arab Emirates.
Specific areas of recognition included digital transformation, research impact, service to the community, internationalization, equity, etc. and in a sustainable manner. The awards commemorate the late Professor Mohamed Zairi, one of the pioneers in the field of quality and excellence who passed away in October 2021.
Another notable 2023 winner, in the category of “non-profit contribution to the community,” is the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), located in Rwanda and whose Dean of Research, Innovation and Quality is a member of IUHS’s Board of Directors and the former Dean of the University of West Indies School of Medicine, Dr. Tomlin Paul.
“These awards are important and reassuring symbols of quality for institutions like IUHS and UGHE that are engaging in disruptive innovations in higher education which may not easily align with traditional standards,” says Dr. Paul.
Among 179 entries from 37 countries, 12 higher education institutions were shortlisted with six winners awarded from universities in St. Kitts and Nevis, Rwanda, Oman, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. Sessions at the conference focused on the World Health Organization’s Sustainable Development Goals with presenters and participants from the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Egypt, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, India, Malaysia, Australia, and the United States among others.
Founded in 1998, IUHS transforms the learning experience and underlying economics of medical education with the goal of addressing the global shortage, inequitable distribution, and demographic participation of healthcare professionals, especially in primary care. IUHS is registered in St. Kitts and Nevis and operates as a modern, innovative, digitally-driven global university with approximately 400 students worldwide.