Global health education in U.K. universities
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a paradigm shift in global health, casting a previously niche academic discipline into a headline dominating field of research. However, accurate information on the delivery of global health education (GHE) at a university level...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Global Health Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2414644721000610 |
| _version_ | 1797869674661150720 |
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| author | Adrienne Lee Matthew Quinn |
| author_facet | Adrienne Lee Matthew Quinn |
| author_sort | Adrienne Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a paradigm shift in global health, casting a previously niche academic discipline into a headline dominating field of research. However, accurate information on the delivery of global health education (GHE) at a university level is lacking. This study aims to assess current GHE practices in U.K. universities, by identifying the availability of dedicated global health qualifications, as well as the breadth of inclusion of GHE topics across university course content. Methods: Universities selected were the top 25 recipients of MRC funding in 2015–2016, as well as universities who were included in previous iterations of the “Global Health League Table”. We used the Consortium of Universities for Global Health “GHE Competencies Toolkit” to identify the presence of global health content across university global health and other course offerings. Universities were additionally judged on opportunities available in global health and on the presence of sustainable partnerships. Results: Our results showed that 20 universities (74%) offer a post-graduate global health related course, with 9 (33%) offering an undergraduate global health related course. 13 (48%) were identified as centers of global health excellence. Just 12 (44%) universities had registered sustainable partnerships with Tropical Health and Education Trust. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was identified as the top deliverer of GHE, with the Universities of Leicester and the Universities of Exeter joint bottom. We were unable to standardize quality assessments in this iteration of the project, but the release of student feedback to future assessors would help to improve the reliability of this study methodology. Additionally, much of our data was based on information available online, and thus some aspects of degree courses not published publicly may not have been accounted for in our scoring. Conclusion: Those institutions wishing to improve their delivery of GHE should consider the establishment of a postgraduate or undergraduate degree course. Breadth of global health content across curricular was a major discriminating factor between institutions, and we would advise universities to consider including more global health topics across their curricular - especially in light of the intersectional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:16:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-342d6584b1754aea97a90067d0c15d9e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2096-3947 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:16:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Health Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-342d6584b1754aea97a90067d0c15d9e2023-03-16T05:05:35ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Global Health Journal2096-39472021-09-0153155162Global health education in U.K. universitiesAdrienne Lee0Matthew Quinn1Anaesthetic Department, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Plymouth, Devon PL68DH, United Kingdom; Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, Akazienstraße 3A, Berlin 10823, Germany; Corresponding author:Weston Education Center, King's College London, London SE5 9RJ, United Kingdom; Department of Ageing and Health, Guy's and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 9RT, United KingdomBackground: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a paradigm shift in global health, casting a previously niche academic discipline into a headline dominating field of research. However, accurate information on the delivery of global health education (GHE) at a university level is lacking. This study aims to assess current GHE practices in U.K. universities, by identifying the availability of dedicated global health qualifications, as well as the breadth of inclusion of GHE topics across university course content. Methods: Universities selected were the top 25 recipients of MRC funding in 2015–2016, as well as universities who were included in previous iterations of the “Global Health League Table”. We used the Consortium of Universities for Global Health “GHE Competencies Toolkit” to identify the presence of global health content across university global health and other course offerings. Universities were additionally judged on opportunities available in global health and on the presence of sustainable partnerships. Results: Our results showed that 20 universities (74%) offer a post-graduate global health related course, with 9 (33%) offering an undergraduate global health related course. 13 (48%) were identified as centers of global health excellence. Just 12 (44%) universities had registered sustainable partnerships with Tropical Health and Education Trust. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was identified as the top deliverer of GHE, with the Universities of Leicester and the Universities of Exeter joint bottom. We were unable to standardize quality assessments in this iteration of the project, but the release of student feedback to future assessors would help to improve the reliability of this study methodology. Additionally, much of our data was based on information available online, and thus some aspects of degree courses not published publicly may not have been accounted for in our scoring. Conclusion: Those institutions wishing to improve their delivery of GHE should consider the establishment of a postgraduate or undergraduate degree course. Breadth of global health content across curricular was a major discriminating factor between institutions, and we would advise universities to consider including more global health topics across their curricular - especially in light of the intersectional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2414644721000610Global healthPostgraduate educationU.K. |
| spellingShingle | Adrienne Lee Matthew Quinn Global health education in U.K. universities Global Health Journal Global health Postgraduate education U.K. |
| title | Global health education in U.K. universities |
| title_full | Global health education in U.K. universities |
| title_fullStr | Global health education in U.K. universities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global health education in U.K. universities |
| title_short | Global health education in U.K. universities |
| title_sort | global health education in u k universities |
| topic | Global health Postgraduate education U.K. |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2414644721000610 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adriennelee globalhealtheducationinukuniversities AT matthewquinn globalhealtheducationinukuniversities |