A message from Ravi Sidhu, Vice Dean, Education and Wyeth Wasserman, Vice Dean, Research.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Faizal Haji has been appointed Director, Centre for Health Education Scholarship (CHES) effective to December 31, 2030.
Dr. Haji is an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and a CHES scholar, as well as a pediatric neurosurgeon at BC Children’s Hospital. He brings a distinguished record of scholarship, teaching and academic leadership at UBC, and at national and international levels. In the Department of Surgery, Dr. Haji has led a number of educational and quality improvement initiatives across regional health sites in collaboration with health authorities and institutional partners. As a CHES scholar, he has taught in the Clinical Educator Fellowship and Master of Health Professions Education programs, with a focus on surgical education, global health, research methods and program evaluation. Dr. Haji also co-founded the Surgical Education Research Interest Group at UBC, helping to foster a community of practice for surgical trainees and educators.
As Director, CHES, Dr. Haji will provide academic and strategic leadership to advance the Centre’s mission of strengthening health professions education through innovative research and scholarship. He will work collaboratively across the Faculty of Medicine to ensure CHES initiatives align with UBC’s strategic priorities and the Faculty’s broader goals. Under his leadership, CHES will continue to expand and strengthen partnerships across departments, schools, centres and regional sites within the Faculty, across UBC and with health professions education research centres in Canada and around the world.
Dr. Haji’s appointment follows the impactful leadership of Dr. Ian Scott, who served as Director of CHES since 2015. Under Dr. Scott’s direction, CHES emerged as a global leader in health professions education research, generating scholarship that is improving health outcomes through enhanced educational practice. Dr. Scott’s commitment to excellence, mentorship and community building has cultivated a vibrant and collaborative environment for learners, educators and researchers.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Kevin Eva for serving as interim Director during this transitional period. We are grateful for Dr. Eva’s strategic leadership of the Centre and his ongoing contributions to health professions education scholarship at UBC and beyond.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Haji to his new role.
