The Centre for Medical, Health and Social Care Education Overseas.
The University of Winchester in the UK has recently established a Centre for Medical, Health and Social Care Education overseas. The Centre is located in the Faculty of Education, Health and Social Care but has no physical presence at the University and works ‘virtually’ through establishing contacts with others working on overseas development projects.
The Centre sees a crucial interrelationship between education, health and social care, believing that success with just one is likely to be less productive than if all three are considered together. In particular it aims to bring together people working on projects such as this to share their educational challenges.
Experience has shown that most overseas projects like this involve some form of educational action, and whilst many of the people involved have extensive expertise in health and social care practice, they often welcome support for the educational aspects of that work. The Centre supports programmes and provides outside resources such as visiting faculty and learning materials, and the validation of programmes until they are sustainable locally.
The Centre especially focuses on the educational needs of health and social care practitioners in low and middle income countries. People involved with the Centre have experience in many overseas projects, particularly regarding curriculum planning and faculty development, and many are engaged in projects where people are looking to the establish certificate, diploma and masters programmes in education locally for their teaching staff.
At the Centre’s launch at the University on the 2nd May, several people from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in the UK attended who are engaged in development work in South Sudan, and there was considerable interest in further collaboration.
People who are interested in hearing more about the work of the Centre are invited to make e-mail contact with convenor: [email protected].
Professor Colin Coles
Convenor of the Centre for Medical, Health and Social Care Education
Faculty of Education, Health and Social Care
University of Winchester
UK
