Mehmet Izbudak has worked as an Academic Teaching Developer at SOAS, University of London since 2008 where he designed training programs for Graduate Teaching Assistants and academic teaching staff, provides workshops on teaching skills, and one-on-one pedagogical support. He has expanded academic skills training for students and developed courses for research students, as well as taking on consultancy work and external teaching roles to promote effective teaching practices.

1. Mehmet Izbudak
Academic Teaching Developer
SOAS, University of London
Outline of Professional Experience
As a Senior ESAP and Staff Development Teacher at the International Foundation Courses and English
Language Studies(IFCELS) atthe School of OrientalandAfricanStudies(SOAS),Universityof London, in2004
I was seconded to the SOAS Learning and Teaching Unit to design and deliver study skills workshops for
undergraduate,postgraduate andresearchstudentsatSOAS.Duringmy workwithMPhil and PhD students
I noticed that there was little to no support given to research students starting their teaching careers as
Graduate TeachingAssistants(GTA).
In 2006, I circulatedadocument at the School of Oriental andAfricanStudies(SOAS) proposingthe creation
of position of Academic Teaching Developer/Coordinator. The main remit of the post –holder would be to
develop a comprehensive training programme for graduate teaching assistants (GTA), to create and run a
seriesof developmentalworkshopsfor academicteachingstaff,andtoprovide general pedagogical support
to all teachingstaff throughoutthe School. By2008 the post wascreated withinthe AcademicDevelopment
Directorate (ADD) andI wasduly appointed.
AcademicTeacher training
My first task as an educational developer was to design, develop and deliver a new full GTA Training
Programme (GTATP) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/add/academicteachingdev/gtaprogramme/). By 2010 the
introductory training workshops evolved into a full six module programme and received Higher Education
Academy(HEA) accreditation.
Once the GTATP was settled and established, I proposed to expand the training programme to a full
programme opentoall academicteachingstaff fromGTAs,TeachingFellowstoseniorLecturers.Thisresulted
in the SOAS Professional Development in Higher Education Programme (PDHEP)
(http://www.soas.ac.uk/add/academicteachingdev/professional-development-in-higher-education-
programme/).The Programme startedon20th August2012 received HEA accreditation inNovemberof that
year.
At present, Iam developing,designingthe SOAS ProfessionalDevelopment Framework tobe submittedfor
HEA accreditation bythe endof May 2015.
AcademicTeaching Development Workshops
My second remit was to provide the School with a comprehensive range of Academic development
workshops open to all members of academic teaching and academic support staff
(http://www.soas.ac.uk/add/academicteachingdev/teachdevworkshop/). Initially three workshops were
providedduringthe academicyear.Now there are overa dozen workshopsscheduledduring the academic
session whichincludethe followingtopics:
 Assessment and feedback
 Course and programme design
 Dealing with sensitive issues in lectures and tutorials
 Designing teaching material
 Drama techniques in teaching
 Effective lecturing skills
 Information literacy
 Learning outcomes and teaching aims
 Learning strategy and feedback
 Planning a teaching session

2.  Re-thinking assessment in contemporary higher education
 Seminar and small group teaching and management skills
 Reading lists – design and purpose
 Sensible and effective use of technology in teaching
 Inclusion in teaching an design
One-to-onepedagogical support
The thirdremitwas to provide individual pedagogical supportacrossthe School.Today thisspecificone-to-
one support to individual members of SOAS academic staff is part and parcel of Academic Teaching
Development Responsibilities. There are now, on average 30 – 40 consultations annually. Consultations
covert a wide range of pedagogical issues, such as: handout design, lecture/tutorial plans, new assessment
methods,givingfeedbackonessays,programmereview andmoduledesign.
I have alsobeeninvolvedinexpandinganddeveloping supporttootheractivitiesof the ADD.
TrainingProgrammefor Distance Teaching
In accordance withthe School’sLearningandTeachingStrategy,the e-LearningManagerandIare preparing
a comprehensivecourse andworkshopstotrainSOASteachingstaff indistance andblended teaching.
Academicskillstraining
I have developedanddeliveredbothgenericanddepartmental studyskillstrainingtoundergraduate,post-
graduate and researchstudents.Among the coursesIhave introducedare:
 Critical thinking
 Critical readingandnote-taking
 Dissertation writing and planning for the Law, Chinese Studies, and Art and Archaeology
Departments
 Language LearningStrategies
 Studentlearningstrategies
 Readingforresearch
 Collaborativeworkingmethods atLLM/MA level
Research student support
I have also delivered and developed courses for MPhil and PhD skills support programme at SOAS and for
otherBloomsburyinstitutions.These include:
 Core chapter writingandMPhil upgrade
 Creative writingtechniquesforresearchstudents
 The use of focusgroups inqualitative research
 Writingand editingyourthesis
 Writingretreatsfordoctoral students
 Synthesisinthesiswriting
SOAS Director’s TeachingPrize
I have been in charge of promoting and organising the annual SOAS Director’s Teaching Prize open to all
members of academic teaching staff at the School. In my first year, 2009, there were 36 nominations. This
academicsessionall recordswere brokenwith 117nominations.

3. I have beenaskedto prepare a proposal documenttoexpand the award andrestructure the administration
the award system. As of Spring Term 2014 the award process has been streamlined and simplified, while
Prize categories have been expandedfromone tofour.
ConsultancyWork
 Guest lecturer on Effective and Constructive Feedback and Assessment School of Advanced Studies,
Universityof London(AutumnTerm2015)
 Guest speaker on Mastering Leadership Soft Skills at the Women Leadership Programme 2014
(October2014)
 Presentingpaperon theMPhilCoreChapterWriting Skills Workshop atSOAS,anexampleof evidence
based design in teaching at the BALEAP Professional IssuesConference (June2013)
 Guest lecturer on the Continuous Development Programme, University of Glasgow, leading a
workshopon Drama Techniquesand Teaching in Higher Education (April 2013)
 Guest lecturer on Lecturer as dramaturge, scriptwriter and performer at Turku University,
Finland(December2012)
 Guest lecturer on the Teaching Development Seminar Programme, University of Essex leading a
sessionon Drama and Lecturing (February2012)
External TeachingWork
Sessional Lecturer,BirkbeckCollege,Universityof London (2003 - Present)
 InternationalRelations,anHistoricalIntroduction(UG)
 ForeignPolicyAnalysis (UG.PGasof 2013-2014)
 Evolutionof the InternationalSystem (thisreplacedInternationalRelations,anHistoricalIntroduction
as of 2013-2014)
Finally,Iwouldlike toaddthatI received the SOASRewardandRecognitionAward2012/13