Chair: Katarzyna Czabanowska (kasia.czabanowska@maastrichtuniversity.nl)
Past Chairs:
Yehuda Naumark (2014-2015)
Vesna Bjegovic-Mikanovic (2011-2013) - Reports
[ASPHER 2020 Implementation of the Strategic Objective 1]
Improving quality of academic programmes and CPD for public health
1.1. Promote harmonization of high quality education and training for public health: develop and pilot model curricula, advocate and implement as standard for all European schools of public health, and evaluate public health education and training programmes at all three Bologna levels;
1.2. Enhance continuing professional development (CPD) through blended learning modules offered to all public health professionals by the European school of public health (business model of excellence);
1.3. Increase mobility in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and develop joint models for education and training together with the exchange of best practices.
---
1.1. In order to improve the quality of the academic programmes on the Bachelor, Master and Postgraduate level, it is proposed to assume the identification of and exchange of good practices approach. What does it mean in practice?
A special platform will be developed on the ASPHER web page where the specific Bachelor and Master of Public Health programmes curricula will be presented by the Schools and Departments of Public Health affiliated with ASPHER. Specific criteria will be developed by ASPHER Working Group on Education and Good Practice together with APHEA to guide the programme leaders in the expectations related to good practice exchange. We will look for the programmes which among others: are fully taught in English or at least parts of them, comply with the Structural Indicators for Monitoring Education and Training Systems in Europe developed by the European Commission /EACEA/Eurydice data collection 2015 (Structural Indicators for Training Systems in Europe Eurydice Background Report to the Education and Training Monitor 2015), follow the ASPHER Public Health Competencies Scheme, include innovative student cantered methodologies and many other criteria developed by the WG and APHEA.
The interested Schools and Departments of Public Health will be able to share and exchange practices. Every year or every two years ASPHER will select the good practice example from among the programmes on Bachelor and Master level which will be displayed on the platform and award will be presented during yearly D&D retreat as a result of the competition.
1.2. The enhancement of the CPD modules will be achieved by encouraging the Schools and Departments of Public Health affiliated with ASPHER to share with ASPHER short courses, modules or training sessions which are in English and which can serve as an independent product which can be subject to open enrolment facilitated by ASPHER. These should be the so called star courses which would fill the gap at the PH CPD market. In this way ASPHER will be able to pool the best products and support business cases with relevant schools. Every 2-3 years the demand/ need analysis can be performed based on the competency model identifying gaps in knowledge and skills among PH professionals. Such an approach will contribute to building the PH CPD field as opposed to its current fragmentation and lack of integration.
1.3. It is proposed that ASPHER will encourage and promote through the good practice exchange as mentioned in 1.1. signing of Erasmus Mobility exchange contracts between the Schools and Departments of Public Health facilitating the exchange of students and staff within the three educational cycles depending on the programmes of interest and need for mutual learning or development. The schools or Institutes which are affiliated with ASPHER can also provide internship possibilities which are also covered by the Erasmus mobility scheme.