The Qatar University College of Medicine (QU-CMED) and the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) have signed an agreement to collaborate in education and faculty/student exchange.
The terms of the agreement also include collaboration on faculty development, consultations, joint educational programmes, and the development of academic materials.
QU vice-president for Medical Education Dr Egon Toft and UIC Board of Trustees comptroller Walter K Knorr were the signatories.
“It will enrich our students’ academic journey by building their capacity in clinical practice and medical education, and provide our faculty with valuable opportunities to collaborate with their colleagues at UIC,” Dr Toft said.
UIC College of Medicine dean Dr Dimitri Azar pointed out that the UIC has a long history of collaborations with institutions of higher education worldwide.
The primary aim of these collaborations is to encourage faculty and student exchange, initiate joint research projects, and enhance the quality of both medical education and healthcare delivery internationally.
“Over the years, these partnerships have developed degree and certificate programmes, workshops, individual professional development, and faculty consultations,” he said.
As part of the agreement, the QU-CMED held in collaboration with the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) a workshop for clinical clerkship directors to orient them on academic essentials, and equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills and capacities for teaching, education, assessment, and evaluation.
Thirteen participants from the QU-CMED, the HMC and the Primary Health Care Corporation were given valuable insight into clinical teaching and information on successful teaching/learning approaches and the conditions or external influences that enhance it, the role of teachers and learners, and the types of teacher/learner interactions.