From new collaborations aimed at combating the rise of infectious diseases in India, to a first-of-its-kind healthcare administration leadership course for colleagues in China, the University of Michigan Medical School expanded its international network and impact in 2016-17.
The recently published 2016-17 annual report for Global REACH details many new projects and milestones from the past year, including new grants to help faculty forge new partnerships abroad, valuable student educational experiences around the world, and meaningful research with overseas collaborators.
“Global REACH is proud to support the dedicated faculty, students and international partners behind these efforts,” said Joseph Kolars, M.D., senior associate dean for education and global initiatives and the Josiah Macy Jr. Professor of Health Professions Education. “Their passion is inspiring and their work is making a meaningful impact both at home and abroad.”
Collaboration: Global REACH oversees institutional agreements with more than 20 schools and research institutions abroad. The year 2016-17 brought new or renewed partnerships in China, Macedonia, Brazil and India. Global REACH also added a new administrative Platform for Collaboration in Taiwan last year, and handed out five new Partnership Development grants to UMMS faculty for new collaborations in Brazil, Ghana, Uganda and China.
Education: In all, 45 UMMS students embarked on educational experiences overseas in 2016-17. Global REACH supported the majority of these experiences, helping students travel to Peru, Brazil, Ghana, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, India and more. Additionally, Global REACH helped Michigan Medicine welcome 235 visiting students, scholars, and healthcare leaders from abroad in 2016-17.
Research: More than 80 colleagues in Global REACH’s extensive network of Faculty Associates (med school) and Affiliates (other health sciences schools) published some 225 articles with foreign co-authors in 2016-17. This impactful global health research appeared in journals like The Lancet, PLOS One, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Global REACH also teamed up with leaders from the medical school’s Global Health & Disparities Path of Excellence this year for a study of medical students’ cross-cultural sensitivity, a project being funded through the U-M National Center for Institutional Diversity.
To view the Global REACH 2016-17 annual report, click the link below.