174604 China Scholar Exchange Program: Advancing International Public Health Practice Training and Research

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 8:30 AM

Angela J. Beck, MPH, CHES , Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Matthew L. Boulton, MD, MPH , Office of Public Health Practice, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
JoLynn P. Montgomery, MPH, PhD , Office of Public Health Practice, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
  
The Office of Public Health Practice at the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UM SPH) established a formal memorandum of understanding with the Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Tianjin, China in 2007. The agreement includes opportunities for UM SPH faculty to participate in research projects with Tianjin CDC staff; for UM SPH students to participate in field experiences such as internships and spring break trips in Tianjin, China; and for Tianjin CDC leadership to study and research at UM SPH for three month intervals.

During the first year since the signing of the memorandum of understanding, a diverse array of training and research activities have occurred including: 1) joint exchange of Tianjin CDC scholars and UM SPH Preventive Medicine Residents and graduate students; 2) hosting of thirty UM SPH graduate students for a spring break field experience at the Tianjin CDC; and 3) work by UM SPH faculty and Tianjin CDC scientists on several collaborative research projects including a study of human brucellosis in China, a large outbreak of measles in Tianjin District and a study looking at all cause mortality over a 5 year period of time in Tianjin.

This presentation will describe the process of establishing a scholar exchange program with Tianjin CDC, highlight the training and research projects being developed as a result of the exchange agreement, and discuss the benefits to students and faculty participating in the China Scholar Exchange.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the methods for developing a scholar exchange program with China. 2. Discuss the benefits to public health students and faculty of developing training and research projects with China. 3. Describe the challenges facing schools of public health in facilitating scholar exchange programs with China.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I manage the China Scholar Exchange program and served as primary author on this abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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