International Academic Collaborations: A Mechanism to Improve Health Equity and Global Social Responsibility

This presentation describes the academic partnerships developed between a university located in a rural area of the United States of America and partner universities in Colombia and the Dominican Republic.    This presentation is centered on the multiple venues for academic collaborations in times of economic recession such as face-to-face educational initiatives (courses and certificates in health promotion and public health), online and long distance educational programs (online courses, virtual presentations, long-distance forums in nursing and public health), as well as research and publication initiatives (collaborative publications in peer-reviewed international journals;  joint authorship of books in health promotion and public health;  international research initiatives on childhood obesity, diabetes, cultural competence, and community health workers/promotores de salud).  This presentation describes the specific outcomes of the multiple collaboration initiatives and presents a self-analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of these collaborations.  Major emphasis is given to the presentation of specific outcomes related to health equity and global responsibility in the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals in the three participating countries: Colombia, Dominican Republic, and the United States.  A discussion of possible academic collaborations with other entities present in the audience is included as part of this presentation.