Tempus Masters Programmes in Public health and Social Services Training Week 8th – 14th May 2011

Tamara Kudaibergenova, PhDThe Leverhulme Fellow University of Cumbria

Lancaster, UK

Kyrgyz State Medical Academy

OpportunitiesTempus project IB_JEP 22183-2001 “Development of Public Health Services in

Kyrgyzstan” 2002-2004Partners:Kyrgyz State Medical Academy, Bishkek,

KyrgyzstanSt. Martin’s College (present University of

Cumbria), Lancaster, UKPirkanmaa Polytechnic, Tampere, Finland

Project Objective:The development of a modern, effective Institute for

Health Management and Public Health working in partnership with the Ministry of Health to provide high quality initial and continuing education to health professionals in Kyrgyzstan through:Updating 2 Undergraduate courses to reflect current

needs and practicesDevelopment of a Masters CourseDevelopment of Quality Assurance practices &

proceduresImproving practices of Continuing Professional

DevelopmentEstablishment of International Forum of PH

professionals

Opportunities in KyrgyzstanKyrgyz State Medical Academy:

Public Health Faculty;Administration;International office;Material and Technical base

Ministry of Health:Health Care System;Medical Education System

Ministry of Education and Science: Higher Education System

Local Tempus Office

Opportunities in the UKSt. Martin’s College:

Public Health;Nursing;Occupational Therapy; International Office;Material and Technical System

Public Health System of UK;Health Care System of UK;Higher Education System

Opportunities in FinlandPirkanmaa Polytechnic:

International office;Administration;Material and Technical base

Public Health System of Finland;Health Care System of Finland;Higher Education System:

Public Health professionals education;Nursing education

Opportunities, Challenges, CompromisesIntellectual potential of Universities of countries

with different ideological heritage, economical situation, culture, education and research, health care and public health system, experiences and approaches.

This potential is presented by different intellectual qualities of the team members:inquisitiveness, criticality, sensitivity to the contradiction, creativity, ability to generate unusual ideas, discipline, self-control, dialogue etc.

ChallengesWe’ve got “what” to do in the project;We’ve got “where” to do it;We’ve got “who” would do it;And we must have found out “how” to do it.

So the main challenge was: How to realize the project using all theseopportunities under different conditions andcircumstances effectively?

Activities4 visits to Kyrgyzstan6 visits to Europe - 20 of the KSMA teaching

staff (17) and top managers (3)2 weeks of Intensive English course in the UK -

12 KSMA faculties (competition)2 months of English course - 12 KSMA

facultiesInternational conference with proceedingsWeb-site and National Forum of Public Health

SpecialistsEquipment of department’s offices by

computers, printers, etc.

Curriculum development2 undergraduate programmes:

Preventive Medicine Programme - 5 year 25 students of the 1st year, 40 students of the 2nd

yearNursing Programme - 3.5 year

20 students of the 1st year

2 postgraduate programmes:Master of Public Health Master of Public Health Nursing

New coursesHealth concepts Health Promotion International Health Professional CommunicationMedia Communication Writing CommunicationCritical AnalysisLeadershipConflict Management

Conference, October, 9-11 200390 participants:

PH practitioners of Kyrgyzstan;Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan;UK, Finland;

Present problems of PH services and education in PH in Kyrgyzstan and in the world were discussed;

Developed programmes and courses were presented;

Web-site of the project and the International Forum are presented (http://phksma.host.net.kg);

Conference resolution was accepted;Conference results were published in the

proceedings

Acquaintance, mastering, updating, developments and implementations

Features of European PH systems on examples of the UK and Finland;

New trends in international public health systems development;

Updating and mastering new teaching techniques:Preparation and use of video materialsUse of case studies

Acquaintance, mastering, updating, developments and implementationsUpdating Quality Assurance system:

Use feedback from students for the Central methodical committee for preventive medicine courses;

Including 2 experts from practical PH services in the committee;

Use of peer teaching and peer review of learning materials in practice of the KSMA

Continuing Professional Development:3 round tables on CPD for PH specialists;Discussions aren’t finished yet;Standards for PH specialsts is being developed

Gained Benefits of the projectProfessional and cultural growth of the

KSMA teaching staff;

Big prerequisites for development of the national public health services are made;

Broadening of international contacts with UK and Finnish institutions in research and educational area

Publications of project resultsCollection of papers on Public Health Issues and

Proceedings of the International Conference on Public Health in Kyrgyzstan, Cholpon-Ata, October 9-11 2003. Bishkek: Kyrgyz State Medical Academy.

O’Brien, V (2003) The Social Context of Health: Culture and Health in Public Health Development Kyrgyzstan: education, science, practice. Proceedings of the International Conference on Public Health in Kyrgyzstan, Cholpon-Ata, October 9-11 2003. Bishkek: Kyrgyz State Medical Academy.

O'Brien, V. Djusupov, K. Kudaibergonova, T. (2005) Public health challenges in Kyrgyzstan: developing a new curriculum. Rural and Remote Health 5 (online) 2005: 461 Available from: http://rrh.deakin.edu.au

Publication of project resultsO’Brien, V (2005) Public Health in Kyrgyzstan: The Land of

the Celestial Mountains Threevoices Films, Levens www.threevoices.info/Threevoices/Films.html

O’Brien, V. Djusipov, K. Kudaibergonova, T (2005): Public health challenges in Kyrgyzstan: developing a new curriculum. Rural and Remote Health 5 (online)

http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_461.pdfKyrgyz State Medical Academy:http://kgma.aknet.kgUniversity of Cumbria (St. Martin College):http://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/156/Pirkanmaa Polytechnic web site:http://www.piramk.fi/materiaalit/kv/wwwspirit03.pdf

Challenges

These results are only the visible tip of an iceberg and all the work from which these results became possible are not visible. ‘Under the water’, the invisible support for the visible tip of the iceberg, we can find the people who made the project successful.

Project coordinators

Training at St. Martin College

Trip to Liverpool

Jubilee of team members

Challenges at start of project Lack of resources:

Period of transition after USSR Collapse;Lack of opportunities for international work;Poor awareness and understanding of international work;Lack of skills for international work at staff (Computer, Internet, Foreign Languages)Lack of international contacts with universities;Lack of initiative for international work;

Compromises at start of project Administrative support:

Support, encouraging and acknowledgment of international work by top managers;International office establishment and hiring staff

with international experience;

International office activity:Website with international projects funding

information and successful stories of people; Organising seminars on international grant

initiatives;Individual consultations on attending

international conferences and grant writing;Looking for collaborators for international

projects

Challenges during the projectProject:Short-term:

Project was planned for 3 years, but we only got 2 years funding;

Frequent visits of partners (intensive work in trips and after trip at universities);

Bureaucracy: Lots of project forms;Visa arrangement documents

Challenges during the projectCountries: Lack of recourses (Collapse of Soviet Union,

transition economics); Visa support (UK Embassy in Kazakhstan); Culture (Different values); System of education (Based mostly on class

contact); Health care system (Terms: e.g. health inequality);Public health care (PH professionals are medical

doctors)

Challenges during the projectUniversities:Work overload of staff (System of education

based mostly on class contact);Lack of initiative from universities and staff

(Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education subordination)

Limited opportunity to involve more people from chair;

Lack of opportunity to involve professionals from practical part of Public Health System

Challenges during the projectPeople: Language barrier (poor English); Poor access to specific literature (Limited library funds and

internet access);Poor material and technical base of chair;Work overload of project team members;Lack of awareness and recognition of project by KSMA staff;Participation in international project is not acknowledged by

universities as work load;Limited opportunity to involve more people from staff of

university and chair;Head of Chair subordination of team members; Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education subordination

(difficult to involve professionals from practical part of Public Health System)

Compromises during the project International Office (logistics, technical support, interpretation); Inclusion of “political” members in the project team; Inclusion of leaders of KSMA and Public Health system in the

project team and their great support and acknowledgement ;Cooperation with Local Tempus office (Project equipment

purchasing documents);Tremendous work of team (sacrificing time, weekends, sleep etc.)Setting up English Language courses; Setting up Computer and Internet user courses;Setting up Tempus project web site;Our families support;Our friends and collegues support;Our Lands support (Culture, Traditions of Hospitality, Nature etc)

Challenges at the “end” of the project

The international project can be compared to chain reaction which starts with the several passionate people who than involve more and more other people who contribute the project their forces and emotions, knowledge and skills, hopes and aspirations for their countries benefit.

And the main challenge at the end of the project is that this chain reaction does not stop on you but goes on!

Thank you!