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Short courses tropEd –
network for education in
international health
tropEd is a network of institutions for higher
education in international health, consisting
of more than 30 European and 8 non-
European institutions. The network provides
postgraduate opportunities for education
and training. It focuses on improving the
management of health services for disad-
vantaged populations, thus contributing to
sustainable development. The innovative
approach is based on mobility of people,
the exchange of experiences in different
disciplines and the establishment of a com-
mon standard in education and training. It
prepares people to work more effectively
in a multicultural environment by exposing
them to multiple perspectives as the tropEd
students have to take a number of advan-
ced modules outside of their so-called
home institutions at partner institutions of
the network.
Heidelberg has been a member of tropEd
from the start. Currently, not only the short
courses (advanced modules) are accredited
within the network, but also the Master's
programme which has been restructured
several years ago. It now consists of three
parts: a three month core course, advanced
modules, and a thesis.
The Institute of Public Health thus was able
to introduce a part time track while keeping
the full time residental students in Heidel-
berg.
The tropEd member institutions meet three
times a year at various locations within
the network to accredit courses, discuss
membership statuses, quality assurance,
student issues, etc. In January 2010, as the
meeting was hosted in Heidelberg which
was attended by 18 member institutions.
Apart from working long hours, the network
always tries to include also a social activity
and despite the cold and icy paths, most
people joined and enjoyed the castle tour.
www.tropEd.org
Short courses: Ethiopia
We enjoy a long-standing, DAAD-supported
partnership with the Department of Public
health at Gondar University in Ethiopia.
Our cooperation involves teaching and
research, and we have continuous exchange
of scientists amongst both institutions. As
part of the exchange program, each year
we receive two participants from Gondar
University in short courses of their choice
within our Master's programme in Interna-
tional Health in Heidelberg. These visits
aim to strengthen postgraduate teaching
in Gondar, which we support by staff from
Heidelberg. We jointly developed and
implemented in Gondar short courses
on "Consultancy skills" and "Qualitative
research methods" (2010), which are now
part of their Master's programme. In 2011,
we offered a course on "Publication and
research skills". Our partners in Gondar
regularly receive our MSc students (two or
three per year) and act as local supervisors
for their field studies, which always resulted
in a successful master thesis. Within the
"Ärzte-Programm" we also organize yearly
"expert seminars" in selected countries
for DAAD-Alumni. These aim at refreshing
local medical professionals in areas of their
choice. The topics of the workshops were in
2010 "cancer", "health sector reform" and
"Poverty reduction" (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
and in 2011 "cancer" and "health sector
reform" (Hannoi, Vietnam).
Short courses: Bangladesh
Quality Management (2010)
BRAC University, Bangladesh
Organizer: Sylvia Sax
A short course based on the one offered in
Heidelberg by the same coordinator.
Short courses: Tunisia
Climate change and health (2010)
The short course on climate change and
health was sponsored by the Tunisian
Ministry of Health and GTZ (now GIZ), the
German Society for International Cooperati-
on. The request for this introductory course
to be held in French was initiated from the
Ministry of Health. Prof. Rainer Sauerborn
and Dr. Valérie Louis, the coordinators of
the Heidelberg short course on climate
change and health, adapted the course
content and format to a five-day course in
French. They covered 80 % of the lectures.
A francophone guest lecturer from Belgium
was also invited.