The question whether centers for staff and educational development in higher education should focus not just on generic aspects but also on disciplinary aspects, presupposes the very existence of such centers. As a matter of fact, such centers have established themselves in many countries only fairly recently. For a long time, a PhD, publications in peer reviewed journals and other research credentials were the prime and often only prerrequisites for a teaching career in higher education. Academics who had these credentials were apparently seen as adequately equipped to prepare students for their future in the system
