Participants of the joint meeting.
In a bid to promote the health promotion agenda, fruitful deliberations between the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedical Sciences (SONMAPS), and the University of Southern Denmark have highlighted global health as an area for collaboration between the two institutions. This was evident during the extensive discussions which took place on Wednesday 19th April 2023. The deliberation was steered by led by the Chairperson, Department of Nursing Research and Education- Dr. Damaris Ochanda (MMUST), and Prof. Leena E. Karlsson (University of Southern Denmark).
Prof. Leena E. Karlsson, who is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark said that the institution uses an interdisciplinary approach, on the premise that health promotion has a structural dimension. She acknowledged the dire need for more of their programs to be administered in English, highlighting this as an opportunity for collaboration between the two institutions. Prof. Karlsson added that the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) has a thriving academic environment for student and faculty exchange programs. According to the senior researcher, there is a need in the future to maintain and strengthen international collaboration in order to ensure health promotion globally.
A section of the participants following the meeting proceedings.
Prof. Lt. Col. (Rtd) J. Okoth said that MMUST School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedical Sciences (SONMAPS), through the Department of Community Health and Extension, houses the Global Health and Travel Medicine program, which presents a focal possible area of collaboration, especially in matters research.
“In the spirit of internationalization, we appreciate opportunities like this, to interact with the outside world and learn new trends in healthcare, education, and more. We are looking forward to collaborative research, twin programs, staff, and student exchange programs,” said Prof.Okoth.
Speaking during the deliberations, the Dean School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedical Sciences, Mr. John Arudo, said that the school is looking forward to a Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities. Dr. Damaris Ochanda emphasized that both faculty and students in the School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedical Sciences are involved in extensive research.
Members of SONMAPS and the University of Southern Denmark following the presentations.
“There is a lot that we can learn from each other through faculty and student exchange programs,” said Dr. Ochanda.
The School is in the process of mounting a master's program Global which will give students an opportunity to progress in their careers. MMUST is the only University in Kenya currently offering a Bachelor of Science in Global Health and Travel Medicine.
The Chairperson, of the Department of Community Health and Extension, Dr. Gregory Sakwa, said that Global Health and Travel Medicine is a fairly new program in Kenya that is geared towards improving health care.
Other notable participants present during the deliberations included Dr. Everlyne Morema, Mr. Peter Okoyo, Mr. Roaler Karlsson, Mrs. Milka Ogayo, Mr. Victor Mukaka, and Ms. Sandra Awuor.
Evidently, with more Universities embracing multidisciplinary research and international collaborations such as this, the global scope for sustainable development in research and education has expanded and MMUST is right at the center of it.
By Awuor Sandra Dorcas
