North Vegas Times

A visiting Fulbright scholar is at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), to examine what teaching techniques she can take back to her homeland of Pakistan.

Sadia Shaukat is at the university as part of a U.S. State Department exchange program that cultivates postdoctoral research partnerships for international professors, a news release from the university said this week.

“Being a Fulbright is a lifetime honor, so I had a great desire to get this award to recognize my abilities and capabilities as a teacher educator,” Shaukat said in the release. “It's an important validation of my hard work and passion for international research.” 

The release reported that Shaukat returned to UNLV after studying in Australia because of previous experience with a professor at the school.  

“I met Professor Emily Lin when we collaborated on some past research projects, which gave me confidence in continuing the partnership here,” Shaukat said. “I felt UNLV's campus was welcoming to other cultures and nationalities and gave a sense of belonging. The university and college’s faculty have a strong focus on Asian countries, and I wanted to work with those professors to extend my research collaboration.”

Shaukat said her project centers on professional standards for teachers, known as the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC).

“I am comparing university programs with and without accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation,” she said. “In the end, I believe my findings will help me to design teacher education programs in Pakistan by integrating professional standards and the fact that it’s a Fulbright project lends credence to my recommendations to my country's educational authorities.”