From Pakistan Kinza Aslam: “Our struggles with change are similar”

University College of Dentistry in Lahore is the first dental college in Pakistan transitioned from a traditional teacher centered to student-centered education. Kinza Aslam, involved in this change, tells us how her attendance to the SHE Summer course in 2018 and interaction with peers, benefited her in her work.

When I came across the summer course program on Maastricht University’s website, it seemed like a perfect fit for me as my institute had recently gone through a curriculum change and had incorporated PBL as a way of making teaching and learning more student centered.

The structure and organization of the course was such that introduction of basic concepts was reinforced by practical sessions. The teaching methodologies employed during the course were in line with the objectives, which provided an excellent example of how theory should translate into practice. What I liked the most was that there was ample time for discussion of practical issues with the experts who were accessible and were willing to share their sea of knowledge with the students. I also liked that in addition to PBL, the course briefly touched upon other ways of student-centered education as well. This was of particular interest to me because in Pakistan, University College of Dentistry is the first dental college that has transitioned from a traditional teacher centered to an innovative, student-centered education.

This course not only made a significant contribution to my knowledge but also gave an excellent opportunity to interact with health professionals from around the globe. Because of a lack of emphasis on dental education locally, the perspectives of my colleagues and examples from their local contexts provided depth to our discussions and re-assured me also, that our geographic locations may be different but our struggles with change are similar. Of course, the beautiful city of Maastricht and the perfect weather in June made the experience even more memorable.

Kinza Aslam, University College of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Lahore in Lahore, Pakistan.

Kinza recently started the SHE Course Writing a PhD Research Proposal this spring and wants to continue with a PhD.

More information about the SHE Summer Course, PBL and beyond