Building New Partnerships for International Programs

This presentation will describe how a successful collaborative seminar in Bolivia sponsored by the Touro University California (TUC) Public Health program led to new partnerships for international programs. The seminar on research ethics was requested by a Bolivian University and organized by the Universities, World Health Organization, local NGOs, and the Plurinational State of Bolivia Ministry of Health and Sports. The seminar was a true collaboration and all the organizers contributed in many important ways. During the two day seminar, TUC public heath faculty members shared their experiences on the structure, function and role of Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and the Bolivian presenters shared information on the status, policies and procedures of their research ethics committees. During the breaks and after the presentations, there was time to exchange ideas and contacts with the organizers and participants. The seminar sparked a lot of interest and lively debate amongst the organizers and attendees. The medical and public health students were especially vocal with their ideas, concerns and recommendations. Evaluations from the seminar revealed that more information and trainings on the subject of IRBs and Research Ethics Committees is needed across Bolivia. Many of the participants gave their contact information to become involved in rolling out an effective research program and system in Bolivia. The TUC public health program and Bolivian counterparts are presently working on an NIH grant proposal to develop a master's program on research ethics in Bolivia.