Visit to the university SUNY representatives of KazNMU
As part of the implementation of the «Program of KazNMU-SUNY (State University of New York) on HIV Research and Training» of the International New York State Education and Research Program (NYS-ITRP) with the financial support of the International Fogarty Center aimed at creating educational and research capacity in HIV and public health, faculty of the KazNMU at the invitation of American partners visited the School of Public Health (SPH) of the State University of New York in Albany in October 2017. Along with KazNMU faculty, a delegation from another SUNY partner organization, the Kiev-Mohyla Academy (KMA), Kiev, Ukraine, was invited to Albany.
Goals of the visit:
- To review Albany SPH curricula on epidemiology, biostatistics, implementation science and health policy and behavior that maybe relevant to HIV, HCV, and substance use.
- Pairing KNMU and KMA SPH faculty with Albany SPH faculty to establish potential mentorship for improving their in-country curricula.
- Exposing KNMU and KMA SPH faculty to different methods of pedagogy, including interactive training, peer-led learning, distance learning strategies.
- Exploring potential avenues of joint international research projects that provide students with potential internship and research opportunities
A busy schedule of the visit included meetings with Dr. Laura Schweizer, Interim Dean of SPH and Vice President of Health Science; Dr. Mary Gallant, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Dr. Brenda Kirkwood, Director of Online MPH Program); Katrina Chamberlain, Director of Internship Program & Career Services. All the above-mentioned department heads provided detailed presentations on their sections of work and expressed their readiness to cooperate with the KazNMU SPH.
There were also informative meetings with faculty of the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Policy, Management and Behavior; as well as classroom observations to learn about interactive teaching methods.
No less useful were the visits to the Center for International Education and Global Strategy; Institute of Teaching, Training and Academic Leadership; AIDS Institute of the Department of Health of New York State; outpatient clinic for providing medical and social assistance to low-income people.
With great interest, the SUNY SPH faculty listened to the presentation of K.K. Davletov, MD, MPH, the Dean of KazNMU SPH on the training programs of the Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health and the efforts of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan to reform the sanitary and epidemiological service.
Z.S. Nugmanova, MD, PhD, Head of the «HIV Infection and Infection Control» Division, KazNMU addressed the undergraduates and the teaching staff with a presentation on the topic «The HIV epidemic and key populations in Kazakhstan», which was broadcasted at the University of Albany and included in the teleconferences program of the Department of Global Health.
