Degree programmes in Physiotherapy and Orthopaedics have started in Somalia,
where civil war is looming and the number of injured people and amputees is high.
The kick-off meeting of the Integrated Transcultural Educational Synergy in Health Sciences (ITESHS) project , led by UniCamillus University, took place on Monday 21st October with the aim of strengthening university education and improving health skills in Africa.
The meeting was an opportunity to bring together virtually all the project partners: the University of Chieti-Pescara and the University of Foggia, in collaboration with leading African academic institutions: the Jaamacadda Ummadda Soomaaliyeed (Somali National University in Mogadishu), the Hanseatic Institute of Technology and Applied Sciences (HITAS) in Cameroon and the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.
Degree programmes, advanced laboratories and computer classrooms
The ITESH project plans to establish health education programmes in Somalia and Cameroon, as well as international exchanges with Ethiopia. UniCamillus University will set up a BSc in Physiotherapy and a postgraduate course programme in Orthopaedics at the Mogadishu University. This decision is no coincidence: the dramatic civil war that has ravaged Somalia for over 30 years is well known, causing not only casualties but also serious injuries and mutilations. In this context, it is essential to train health professionals who can effectively respond to the needs of the population and facilitate access to top quality orthopaedic and rehabilitation care, which is even more vital than necessary.
As part of the project, UniCamillus will also develop an orthopaedic laboratory on its Rome campus, which will be an important reference point for the training of Somali students, who will be invited to Italy to carry out practical work with state-of-the-art equipment specially acquired by the University. The project will also benefit from the valuable collaboration of Confimi Industria Sanità.
As for the partner universities in the project, the University of Foggia will collaborate in the creation of a BSc in Nursing at the HITAS in Douala, with mobility programmes and the upgrading of the Cameroonian university’s IT equipment, while the University of Chieti-Pescara will collaborate with the Addis Ababa University in a mobility programme for students and lecturers from both universities within their BSc in Psychology.
The project also includes the setting up of computer classrooms in Cameroon and Somalia, equipped with the necessary technology to support blended learning (both online and face-to-face).
“We are delighted to be leading this innovative project, which aims to create a dialogue of mutual exchange and development between the institutions involved, while also promoting the improvement of health conditions in local communities”, said Gianni Profita, Rector of UniCamillus.
European funding for the project
The ITESHS project has been funded by the European Union within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR): UniCamillus received the largest amount of funding amounting to €1,264,954, while the project as a whole was funded for €2,467,099.00 of the funds provided and tendered by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, under Mission 4, Component 1, Investment 3. 4, Sub-Investment T4 ‘Transnational Initiatives in Education’ NextGenerationEU.
“We are very proud of this ambitious project, which involves UniCamillus as the lead partner in providing tangible support for education in African countries”, says Emiliano Maiani, UniCamillus Delegate for Research, Project Manager and Scientific Coordinator. “Our aim is to create a virtuous circle that can promote the transfer of knowledge that is essential for the development and support of local patients. This is an important step in the internationalisation of our University and a tangible support to partner universities in Africa. We hope that this project will be the first step in the development of new, equally important initiatives”.
Within the ITESHS project, these three Italian universities aim not only to contribute to the training of competent health professionals, but also to facilitate their integration into the workplace, supporting the sustainable development of local health systems with the aim of improving living conditions in the most vulnerable African regions.