The assessment of University of Washington(UW)-China Medical Board (CMB) program aimed in “Strengthening Global Health Capacity at Chinese Universities”

Abstract

Introduction: China’s role in global health keeps expanding in recent years. Key Chinese universities are committed to engage in global health and to improve their capacity to do so. With the support of the China Medical Board (CMB), the University of Washington (UW) launched a program for “Strengthening Global Health Capacity at Chinese Universities” in 2013, focused on three synergistic components: Graduate education in global health for masters and doctoral students; training and mentoring for faculty scholars; and collaborative applied research projects in global settings. This evaluation was designed to identify the strengths and challenges of this program and propose suggestions for improving the future activities. Methods: All participants and related UW faculty and staff were included, including 12 students, 13 faculty scholars and 3 UW related faculty and staff. Kirkpatrick model of assessment was used. Data sources included UW-CMB documents (proposals& reports), the related workshop materials, the questionnaire distribution and semi-structured interview. Results: Both students and visiting faculty scholars showed a high satisfaction for the overall program. The courses, experience in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), faculty resources and networking were perceived to be most valuable. Participants said that the program broadened the participants’ horizons in global health and strengthen their capacity substantially. Perceived weaknesses of the program included shortage of funding, inadequate research opportunities, limited collaborations & partnerships, and some issues of program design. Conclusions: UW has successfully trained a group of pioneers for Chinese universities’ global health capacity building. For the future activities, more communication about the funding model, collaborative projects, specific expectation of the support and feasibility is needed.