IWCH Activities

The two pillars for the IWCH vision are research excellence and focused education.

Research

This development of a Centre for research in international health. This Centre has the potential to be a world communicator and keeper of knowledge relating to international health research and strategies. It would be the next level to define research needs in global health. Research would be garnered from many disciplines; and students and faculty would make up integrated teams within the centre. Cochrane reviews could be generated under the supervision of a PhD leader or a chair in International Women and Children’s Health. This all gives great potential to link with international partners, while also attracting quality graduate students. In all this, McMaster could become the centre for international, evidence-based development research.

Education

 1) Educating the community;

This entails working with the media to educate the public about international health issues. It includes bringing the public to symposiums and workshops, and to outreach programs for international women and children within Hamilton region. Local media (the Spectator, CHTV and Cable 4) are already familiar with the IWCH Network, and have often given news coverage of issues raised in the Network’s annual symposium.

 2) Educating McMaster students and faculty

McMaster students and faculty would have interdisciplinary opportunities to promote life-long learning through these symposiums, lectures and curriculum-development. They would also be given hands-on experience in international health by going abroad in health service, and by working with Hamilton region’s immigrant health centers. A bachelor-level course is also envisioned.

 3) Providing educational resources in the developing world.

 This is with a distance education component for McMaster students abroad, and for students from developing countries. It would include the use of virtual classrooms. It would maximize the expertise in educational products and curriculum that is already developed by McMaster University , and adapt them to international contexts.