Internationalisation of the curriculum in health programs

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Higher Education Studies
• Global Health

Background:

• Internationalisation encompasses diverse activities like student mobility and curriculum integration.
• Drivers include global reputation, community impact, income, and developing student intercultural competencies.
• Health students require internationalisation to address global diseases and multicultural societies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically discuss internationalisation of the curriculum (IoC) in health programs.
• To identify challenges and propose strategies for effective IoC implementation.
• To underscore the importance of IoC for preparing the 21st-century health workforce.

Main Methods:

• Critical discussion of existing literature and case examples of IoC in health programs.
• Analysis of risks, barriers, and required alignments for IoC.
• Highlighting strategies to overcome implementation challenges.

Main Results:

• IoC involves integrating global dimensions into content, pedagogy, and learning outcomes.
• Significant challenges include institutional alignment, staff preparedness, and geopolitical factors.
• Successful IoC requires collaboration between academics, leadership, and professional bodies.

Conclusions:

• Purposeful IoC is essential for equipping the future health workforce.
• Overcoming challenges in IoC implementation is critical for global health preparedness.
• IoC ensures health professionals can navigate an increasingly interconnected world.