Health Training Partnerships with Christian Universities Overseas

Excellent local training for Christian health professionals is one sure way to improve health services in many developing countries. Local schools, colleges and universities train the entire continuum of health workers – from community-based to specialty medical care professionals. Unfortunately, the quality of training is uneven in these institutions and local professionals may have not fully considered why being a Christian health professional is unique and special – making this a growing area for missions. This session will explore issues in developing robust, high quality Christian training centers for health professionals through partnerships with a network of Christian health professionals. This session explores lessons from such partnerships with US and Canadian universities involved in Uganda Christian University’s highly successful nursing and public health program, as well as other higher education partnerships. In particular, we will highlight the requirements for partnerships, the emerging role of technology, and implications for future development. Participants will have opportunities to share from their own experience, and help frame issues for future development.