- Signing of MOU will promote the education of graduate level Colombians and research in the health sector.
Bogota, April 25, 2016. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Education and Colciencias signed a memorandum of understanding today with the US-based Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in order to strengthen scientific research in public health in the country.
This instrument is expected to aid in establishing a cooperation scheme between these institutions to stimulate and develop higher education at the graduate level and collaborative research for Colombian health researchers and professionals.
Johns Hopkins University ranked 16th in the Shanghai ranking in 2015, and its Bloomberg School is the best in the world in public health. In addition, its researchers are experienced in issues related to Colombian problems.
The document includes the possibility of cooperating to educate a group of Colombian students at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) through its master's programs, and potentially, doctoral and postdoctoral programs. In addition, the parties will explore ways to conduct joint research projects and academic events between the university and the Colombian academic and research institutions.
"One of the challenges the country is to strengthen public health research," said the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Alejandro Gaviria. "In order to increase doctoral capacity in Colombia, we need partnerships."
He noted the desirability of such initiatives, in particular due to the shortage of researchers and programs to train public health researchers at a master's and doctoral level.
Indeed, according to the Ministry of Education, 35 doctors in public health graduated in the country from 2007 to 2013 and, according to Colciencias, the percentage of doctors in health and medical sciences between 2003 and 2012 was less than or close to 10%.
Participating in the ceremony formalizing the agreement were Alejandro Gaviria, Minister of Health and Social Protection; Yaneth Giha, General Director of Colciencias; Natalia Ariza, Deputy Minister of Higher Education; Stephen Gange, Executive Deputy Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Johns Hopkins University; Joshua Sharfstein, Dean of Public Health Practice and Training, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Antonio Trujillo, director of the Master in Health Economics in the Bloomberg School.
