Challenges of international collaboration in public health education (focus India - USA)

The Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) hosts India’s first Master of Public Health Program (MPH). SCTIMST is an institute of national importance established by an act of the Indian parliament in 1980 and the MPH program was started in the year 1997. For the initial five years there was a grant from the Macarthur foundation to invite faculty from foreign countries and to train core faculty in reputed institutions anywhere in the world. Since India did not have any experience in conducting MPH program we had to depend initially on foreign faculty.  One of the major challenges for international collaboration in public health education was the willingness for foreign faculty to teach in developing countries. Only a minority of the faculty was willing to come and teach in developing countries. Another challenge was the lack of experience of foreign faculty in developing countries. A few faculty members who had immense experience in developing countries were well accepted by the students while those without developing country experience were not well accepted. Cost of foreign faculty and language particularly the accent were also identified as challenges for international collaboration. Those core faculties who were trained in foreign universities could independently teach course after a few years. If there is simultaneous research collaboration the chances of foreign faculty to work with developing country institutions will be higher.