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Given the immense role of the student-centred approach in enhancing students learning, this study explores the role of academic freedom in implementing a student-centred approach. To achieve this objective, the study relies on a qualitative case study research design. In this regard, semi-structured interviews and observation were employed as data gathering tools. The data passed through a series of data analysis processes ranging from data reduction to data verification. The study was conducted at a public university in Ethiopia and recruited ten instructors and twelve students from four randomly selected colleges/institutes belonging to the participating university. The initial analysis resulted in two major themes, each having two subthemes. That is academic freedom at the institutional level for instructors and students and academic freedom at the classroom for instructors and students. Given this, the findings show that the academic freedom of students at the classroom level affects the adoption of student-centred approaches. Students seem to be restrained from freely sharing their concerns, being afraid of the backlash from their instructors and colleagues. Moreover, the instructors in Abay University seem excluded in deciding to implement a student-centred approach in every classroom other than receiving pedagogical training to implement it as a non-negotiable change. These findings call for higher education reforms at national and institutional levels to cultivate an organisational environment that facilitates student-centred approaches. Keywords: student-centred approach, academic freedom, active learning approaches, higher education, Ethiopia

Aim/Purpose: Our study explores the perspectives of international doctoral graduates on ‎‎(national) dissertation assessment in China.‎ Background: In the absence of national standards or in the presence of impractical ones ‎for assessing doctoral dissertations, these factors have inevitably led to what ‎‎Granovsky et al. (1992, p. 375) called “up to standard rejected” and “below ‎standard accepted.” Improving upon this debate, this study examines the ‎lived experiences of seven doctoral graduates who have completed their ‎doctoral degrees in a leading university in China.‎ Methodology: An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) method was used, which ‎entails seven participant observations, seven semi-structured e-interviews, and ‎‎29 external reviews.‎ Contribution: In the present study, we addressed the issue of doctoral dissertation assessment ‎standards ‎with a view to enhancing understanding of the quality of doctoral ‎education. It ‎emphasizes the strengths of this aspect in China and critically describes the ‎weaknesses based on the experiences of doctoral ‎graduates in China.‎ Findings: Among the major findings of this study are: (a) the external review of the ‎dissertations presented in the literature review appears to be extremely unique ‎in comparison to the countries discussed in the literature and the countries of ‎the participants (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Yemen); (b) the ‎national assessment strengthens higher education on a macro level, but is ‎detrimental at the micro-level; and (c) while external reviews appear credible ‎as a policy towards the standardization of doctoral dissertation assessment, ‎this credibility evaporates when one considers the quality of reviews provided ‎and the motivation of reviewers to pass or reject a dissertation, including the ‎supervisor’s exclusion from this process.‎ Recommendations for Practitioners: Students seeking a doctoral degree or dissertation should become familiar ‎with the A-Z detail of the requirements for the degree and thesis. In addition ‎to meeting this overt requirement, their efforts must also be directed to meet ‎the covert requirements, including the requirements of the ‎external reviewers, their supervisors, and the country’s laws. There is a ‎necessity for external reviewers to rethink their decisions and attempt to ‎assess objectively, putting aside their personal views and preferences. There is ‎a need to re-examine the flexibility granted to external reviewers for making ‎decisions regarding doctoral degrees.‎ Recommendation for Researchers: Future research should consider involving an increased number of parties in ‎the conflict between doctoral students, supervisors, and external reviewers.‎ Impact on Society: The Chinese government allocates ‎substantial resources for doctoral studies for both international and local students. The spending of government funds on a doctoral student for four years or more, and then the degree is decided by an external reviewer, is uneconomical on the level of financial capital and human capital. Doctoral students are also human beings, and it does not seem ‎logical that one should judge the quality of their efforts over the course of ‎three or more years by reading the doctoral dissertation once. While they were ‎pursuing their doctoral degrees, they kept their families apart, they lived alone, ‎struggled to make it through hardships, and were easily ‎destroyed.‎ Future Research: In the future, more interviews may be conducted with respondents belonging ‎to a variety of universities in China, including Chinese students. Additionally, ‎supervisors and external reviewers (if available) should be included. Last but ‎not least, including decision-makers in Chinese higher education can give ‎future research more credibility.‎

Background Postoperative patient handover by anaesthetists to recovery room staff is a core part of postoperative care This includes the transfer of information about the patients rsquo preoperative condition the nature of surgery and anaesthesia including any intraoperative problems and postoperative management plan To improve patient handover in the recovery room we choose to adopt rsquo rsquo patient handover standards rsquo rsquo from the Australian Medical Association and British Doctors Committee These standards were introduced at an audit meeting Following this introduction we performed an audit which demonstrated poor compliance A training program was instituted and re audit demonstrated an improvement in adherence with the standards Methods We performed an audit on postanaesthetic patient handover using the standards set out in lsquo rsquo patient handover standards rsquo rsquo from the Australian Medical Association and British Doctors Committee This was carried out in the recovery room in Gondar University hospital between March May A trained observer recorded the handover process against all the eleven elements of the standard Information was collected from a total of handovers taking place between anaesthetists and nurses in the recovery room This included a wide range of surgical specialities and both general and regional anaesthesia Results The first audit result revealed that postoperative patient handover practice of anaesthetists was poor in the areas percentages show level of correct performance based on the standards of patient identity preoperative patient condition type of operation type of anaesthesia intraoperative vital signs intraoperative analgesia use intraoperative fluid management intraoperative blood loss intraoperative clinical incidents recovery condition and postoperative management plan These areas of practice were improved after training Conclusion and recommendation The postoperative patient handover practice of graduate anaesthetists finished undergraduate course was remarkably improved after training We suggest that regular training on postoperative patient handover needs to be provided for both graduate and qualified anaesthetists Moreover regular re auditing is required until the anaesthetists meet the standards and to ensure patient safety in the course of postoperative patient care

Employees’ commitment is pertinent for the effectiveness of any higher education administration. This study aimed to explore the commitment of employees working at the dormitory service administration at a national key university in Beijing. By adopting the quantitative methodology, a questionnaire of 10 statements with three- point Likert scale was designed and handed out to 25 employees through following the convenience sampling technique. Data was analyzed using frequency counts (i.e. number of responses) and percentages. The results showed high commitment among dormitory service administration employees.